Getty Chuck Grassley
At 85 years old, Chuck Grassley is among the oldest members of the United States Senate. He is not the absolute oldest, though — that honor goes to Dianne Feinstein, who was born a few months before Grassley.
Charles Ernest Grassley was born on September 17, 1933. He recently celebrated his 85th birthday. The Iowa Senator was first elected to the US Senate in 1980. He has been serving in the Senate for the past 38 years. He is now serving his seventh term in office.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Grassley Grew up on a Farm in Iowa and Still Lists His Occupation as ‘Farmer’
Chuck Grassley
Grassley was born in New Hartford, Iowa; he grew up on his parents’ farm. Grassley still lists his occupation as “farmer” on his official Senate biography. This is a source of pride for him.
Back in 2014, an Iowa Democrat named Bruce Baley tried to run for Senate — but his campaign floundered when he was caught on tape describing Grassley as a “farmer from Iowa who never went to law school.” Baley’s opponent demanded that he apologize to Grassley — and to every other Iowa farmer. He did.
2. Grassley Worked as a Metal Shearer & Assembly Line Worker Before Being Elected to the Iowa Legislature
Chuck Grassley
Grassley had a lot of different jobs before being elected to the US Senate. He was a sheet metal shearer, and an assembly line worker. He did some work towards earning a PhD but decided against completing the degree. He was a teacher for a while.
In 1958, he was elected to the Iowa State Legislature. And in 1974, he was elected to the US House of Representatives. Grassley joined the US Senate in 1980. He is among the longest-serving senators currently in Congress.
3. Grassley and His Wife Have Five Children & One of the Kids Now Runs the Family Farm
Grassley married Barbara Speicher in 1954. The couple has five children: Lee, Wendy, Robin, Michele, Jay. Barbara sometimes stumps for her husband and likes to brag about his vitality and physical health; she says he often gets up at four in the morning to go for a run.
Their son Robin is now running the family farm.
4. Grassley Has Urged Elderly Supreme Court Justices to Retire
Chuck Grassley
This May, Grassley went on the radio to tell the Supreme Court justices that, if they’re planning to retire, now would be a great time for them to do so. Many commentators wondered if the message was aimed at the older justices, like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy.
“I just hope that if there is going to be a nominee, I hope it’s now or within two or three weeks, because we’ve got to get this done before the election,” Grassley said to radio host Hugh Hewitt. “So my message to any one of the nine Supreme Court justices, if you’re thinking about quitting this year, do it yesterday.”
So far, they have not heeded his call. Grassley himself often has people wondering if he has plans to retire — but so far, the 85 year old senator hasn’t said anything definite about it.
5. Grassley Sits on the Judiciary, Finance, Budget, and Agriculture Committees
Chuck Grassley
Grassley is the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is the committee that confirms Supreme Court nominees.
But Grassley is also a member of the finance committee, the budget committee, and the agriculture committee, among others.
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