WASHINGTON – Senate leaders on Nov. 3 recognized Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa for casting his 12,000th Senate vote early Friday morning. Only 17 senators in history have cast more votes than Grassley.
In addition, no senator serving today has gone as long as Grassley has without missing a vote. Grassley has cast 7,474 consecutive votes.
Since Grassley was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980, he has held at least one official meeting in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties every year.
“When I cast a vote, I’m bringing the benefit of every comment, question and criticism heard from Iowans to the vote,” Grassley said. “With 12,000 votes, I think of the many conversations and pieces of correspondence behind those votes. Whether I’m meeting with Iowans in the Hart Building in Washington or at the University of Northern Iowa volleyball matches near my farm in New Hartford, the time people take to visit with me is time well-spent for me and I hope they consider it time well-spent for them.”
Grassley’s 12,000th vote came early Friday morning during consideration of a budget deal. He voted “no” on a motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline with regard to the deal.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Patrick Leahy, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, freshman Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa and Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee recognized Grassley in remarks on the Senate floor Nov. 3. Grassley also gave brief remarks.
In the Senate, Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He is a senior member and former chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Finance. He serves on the Agriculture and Budget committees, chairs the Caucus on International Narcotics Control and co-chairs the Caucus on Foster Youth, which he co-founded.
Grassley is committed to congressional oversight of the executive branch of government. His efforts have been recognized by whistleblower advocacy and government reform groups and journalist organizations for protecting press freedom and the First Amendment. He fights for transparency in government and wherever tax dollars flow.
Grassley’s legislative record of achievement includes expansive tax relief and reform, approval of international trade agreements, renewable energy and conservation incentives, farm program reforms, rural health care fairness, Medicare modernization, adoption and foster care incentives, access to health care for children with disabilities, updates to patent and trademark laws, expanded consumer access to generic drugs, measures to fight fraud against taxpayers, whistleblower protections, pension program reforms, bankruptcy reform, and making certain that members of Congress live under civil rights, labor and health care laws passed for the rest of the country.
Grassley is the fourth most senior member of the U.S. Senate and the third most senior Republican senator.
Other senators currently serving who have cast more than 12,000 votes are Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
Since 1789, there have been nearly 2,000 members of the U.S. Senate. The last vote Grassley missed was in July 1993, when he accompanied President Bill Clinton to Iowa to inspect flood damage.
