Chuck Grassley

Chuck Grassley
Chuck Grassley
	Official portrait, 2017
United States Senator; from Iowa
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; January 3, 1981 Serving with Joni Ernst
Preceded by	John Culver
Preceded by
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; September 17, 1933; 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	Senate website

Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate since 2025, a role he also held from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Grassley is the senior United States senator from Iowa, serving since 1981. He is the dean of the United States Senate.

Before becoming a senator, Grassley served eight terms in the Iowa House of Representatives (1959–1975) and three terms in the United States House of Representatives (1975–1981). He has served three stints as Senate Finance Committee chairman during periods of Republican Senate majority. Upon the retirement of Orrin Hatch on January 3, 2019, Grassley became the Senate's most senior Republican and its president pro tempore. Upon Patrick Leahy's retirement in January 2023, Grassley became the most senior member of the Senate.

At 91 years, 9 months and 4 days old, Grassley is the oldest sitting United States senator, the longest-serving Republican in congressional history, and the sixth-longest-serving U.S. senator in history. He served as president pro tempore emeritus of the Senate from 2021 to 2025. During his four decades in the Senate, Grassley has chaired the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Narcotics Caucus, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Senate Aging Committee.