Chuck Grassley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chuck Grassley
Official portrait, 2017
United States Senator from Iowa
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1981 Serving with Joni Ernst
Preceded by	John Culver
Senate positions President pro tempore of the United States Senate Incumbent Assumed office January 3, 2025 Preceded by Patty Murray In office January 3, 2019 – January 20, 2021 Preceded by Orrin Hatch Succeeded by Patrick Leahy President pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate In office January 20, 2021 – January 3, 2025 Preceded by Patrick Leahy Succeeded by Patty Murray Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Incumbent Assumed office January 3, 2025 Preceded by Dick Durbin In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 Preceded by Patrick Leahy Succeeded by Lindsey Graham Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 Preceded by Lindsey Graham Succeeded by Jeff Merkley Ranking Member of the Senate Narcotics Caucus In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 Preceded by John Cornyn Succeeded by Sheldon Whitehouse Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 Preceded by Dianne Feinstein Succeeded by Lindsey Graham In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015 Preceded by Jeff Sessions Succeeded by Patrick Leahy Chair of the Senate Finance Committee In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021 Preceded by Orrin Hatch Succeeded by Ron Wyden In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 Preceded by Max Baucus Succeeded by Max Baucus In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001 Preceded by Max Baucus Succeeded by Max Baucus Chair of the Senate Narcotics Caucus In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 Preceded by Dianne Feinstein Succeeded by John Cornyn Chair of the Senate Aging Committee In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001 Preceded by William Cohen Succeeded by John Breaux
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981
Preceded by	H. R. Gross
Succeeded by	Cooper Evans
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
In office January 12, 1959 – January 3, 1975
Preceded by	Wayne Ballhagen
Succeeded by	Raymond Lageschulte
Constituency	73rd district (1959–1971) 10th district (1971–1973) 37th district (1973–1975)
Personal details
Born	Charles Ernest Grassley (1933-09-17) September 17, 1933 (age 91) New Hartford, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Barbara Speicher ​ (m. 1954)​
Children	5
Relatives	Pat Grassley (grandson)
Education	University of Northern Iowa (BA, MA) University of Iowa
Signature
Website

Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician. He is a member of the Republican Party. Grassley has been a United States senator for Iowa since 1981. He is currently the President pro tempore of the Senate, a special role he also held from 2019 to 2021. This means he is the second-highest-ranking official in the Senate.

Before becoming a senator, Grassley served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1959 to 1975. He then served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981. He has led important Senate committees, like the Senate Finance Committee. Since January 2023, he has been the most senior member of the entire Senate.

At 91 years old, Grassley is the oldest sitting U.S. senator. He is also the longest-serving Republican in the history of Congress. He has chaired several important Senate committees, including the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Early Life and Education

Grassley was born on September 17, 1933, in New Hartford, Iowa. He grew up on a farm that did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. He finished high school in 1951.

He went to Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa). He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955 and a Master of Arts degree in political science in 1956. He also studied at the University of Iowa.

Early Career

In the 1950s, Grassley worked on a farm and in factories in Iowa. He was a sheet metal shearer and an assembly line worker. From 1967 to 1968, he taught at Charles City College.

He represented parts of Butler County in the Iowa House of Representatives for many years. Then, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981.

U.S. Senate

Grassley in 1979

Chuck Grassley was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980. He won against the Democratic senator, John Culver. Since then, he has been reelected many times. He has won elections in 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022. In many of these elections, he won by a large margin.

Senate Work and Key Moments

1980s: Early Years in the Senate

In 1981, Grassley supported President Ronald Reagan's budget director, David Stockman. In 1983, he voted against making Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. An aide later explained this was due to concerns about the economic cost. However, in 2004, Grassley supported giving King a special award.

In 1987, he criticized President Reagan's handling of a Supreme Court nomination. He also spoke out against groups that he felt were unfairly attacking the nominee.

1990s: Important Votes and Laws

In 1991, Grassley was one of only two Republican senators who voted against joining the international effort to remove Iraq from Kuwait. In 1998, he helped pass a law to improve the Internal Revenue Service. In 1999, he voted to remove President Bill Clinton from office during his impeachment trial.

2000s: Checking Government Spending

Grassley meets with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in 2001

Grassley has often worked to make sure government money is used wisely. In 2007, a report he asked for showed that over $1 billion in farm subsidies went to people who had passed away. Because of his work, a group called Citizens Against Government Waste called him a "Taxpayer Super Hero" in 2014.

He also worked to make sure the FBI handled misconduct by its agents properly. In 2006, he proposed a law to help stop serious crimes against people by enforcing tax laws more strictly.

2010s: Health Care and Gun Laws

Grassley talking with President Barack Obama about health care reform in June 2009

Grassley opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). He believed it would give the government too much power over health care decisions.

In 2013, he opposed a gun control amendment. Instead, he suggested laws to increase punishment for gun violence and improve mental health data for background checks. He has consistently supported gun rights.

Senator Grassley in 2016

Since 1981, Grassley has held public meetings in all 99 counties of Iowa every year. This is known as a "full Grassley."

2020s: Recent Events

Grassley meeting with President Joe Biden, February 2022

On January 6, 2021, when the U.S. Capitol was attacked, Grassley was in the Senate chamber. He was moved to a safe place. After the attack, he said that President Donald Trump "displayed poor leadership" and "must take responsibility."

Senate Voting Record

Grassley has a remarkable record for not missing votes. In January 2016, he set a record for the most times without missing a roll-call vote since July 1993. This streak ended in November 2020 when he had to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure.

Committee Roles

Grassley serves on several important Senate committees:

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
• Committee on Finance (He is the top Republican, called the Ranking Member, on a subcommittee here.)
• Committee on the Budget (He is the Ranking Member.)
• Committee on the Judiciary
• Joint Committee on Taxation
• United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control (He is a Co-chair.)

Political Views

Agriculture

He has worked to support farmers and improve conservation efforts. He has also supported federal funding for ethanol, a fuel made from corn.

Energy and Environment

Grassley has expressed concerns about how environmental rules affect farming. He helped create tax credits for wind energy in 1992. He also supported tax incentives for other clean energy sources like ethanol and biodiesel.

Gun Laws

Grassley believes that improving mental health care is more important than new gun laws for preventing gun violence. He has an "A+" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), a group that supports gun rights. He has voted against stricter gun control measures.

Health Care

Grassley has consistently opposed the Affordable Care Act. He believes it gives the government too much control over health care.

Whistleblowers

Grassley is a strong supporter of "whistleblowers." These are people who report wrongdoing in government or companies. He wrote the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. He has received awards for his work in protecting whistleblowers.

Investigations

Checking Religious Organizations

In 2007, Grassley started an investigation into how some religious ministries used their money. He asked them to share financial information to make sure funds were used properly.

Medical Research Oversight

Grassley also investigated payments from drug companies to doctors. His investigations found that some doctors had not reported large amounts of money they received from pharmaceutical companies. This led to changes in how these payments are reported.

Personal Life

Chuck Grassley married Barbara Ann Speicher on August 22, 1954. They have five children. His grandson, Pat Grassley, is also a politician in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Grassley is known for his long-running "feud" with the History channel. He has often said the network does not show enough actual history programs.

In 2023, Grassley had surgery for a hip fracture after a fall. He returned to the Senate using a wheelchair. In January 2024, he was hospitalized for an infection but was released a few days later.

Awards

Grassley has received several awards for his public service. In 2009, he received the Health Policy Hero award for his work in overseeing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2010, The Hill newspaper named him one of the hardest-working members of Congress.

Images for kids

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  Grassley speaking at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C.

See also

In Spanish: Chuck Grassley para niños