Grassley records remarkable achievement

Journal Editorial Board
Sioux City Journal

In our nation’s history, nearly 2,000 men and women have served in the United States Senate. Only 17 of them (and only three of them serving today, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Patrick Leahy of Vermont) have cast more votes than Iowa Republican Charles Grassley. No senator serving today has gone as long as Grassley without missing a vote. Our state’s senior senator has cast 7,474 consecutive votes.

It is, indeed, an extraordinary record.

On Tuesday, colleagues from both sides of the political aisle praised Grassley for casting his 12,000th vote as a senator. The milestone vote came on Friday during discussion in the Senate about the federal budget.

“When I cast a vote, I’m bringing the benefit of every comment, question and criticism heard from Iowans to the vote,” Grassley said during brief remarks on the Senate floor. “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.”

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