![Photo of Sen. Charles “Chuck” Grassley [R-IA]](/data/photos/300048-200px.jpeg)
Analysis
Legislative Metrics
Read our 2017 Report Card for Grassley.
Ideology–Leadership Chart
Grassley is shown as a purple triangle ▲ in our ideology-leadership chart below. Each dot is a member of the Senate positioned according to our liberal–conservative ideology score (left to right) and our leadership score (leaders are toward the top).
The chart is based on the bills Grassley has sponsored and cosponsored. See full analysis methodology.
Ratings from Advocacy Organizations
Committee Membership
Charles “Chuck” Grassley sits on the following committees:
-
Chair,
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
- Member, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
- Member, Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration
- Member, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
- Member, Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts
- Chair, United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
- Joint Committee on Taxation
-
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
- Member, Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
- Member, Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources
- Member, Subcommittee on Livestock, Marketing, and Agriculture Security
- Senate Committee on the Budget
-
Senate Committee on Finance
- Member, Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
- Member, Subcommittee on Health Care
- Member, Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
Enacted Legislation
Grassley was the primary sponsor of 69 bills that were enacted. The most recent include:
- S. 1869: Whistleblower Protection Coordination Act
- S. 2070: Kevin and Avonte’s Law of 2017
- S. 178: Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act
- S. 419: Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2017
- S. 1237: Family Farmer Bankruptcy Clarification Act of 2017
- S. 904: Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017
- S.J.Res. 14: A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation ...
We consider a bill enacted if one of the following is true: a) it is enacted itself, b) it has a companion bill in the other chamber (as identified by Congress) which was enacted, or c) if at least about half of its provisions were incorporated into bills that were enacted (as determined by an automated text analysis, applicable beginning with bills in the 110th Congress).
Bills Sponsored
Issue Areas
Grassley sponsors bills primarily in these issue areas:
Crime and Law Enforcement (26%) Health (25%) Education (13%) Government Operations and Politics (10%) Immigration (7%) Law (6%) Commerce (6%) Taxation (6%)
Recent Bills
Some of Grassley’s most recently sponsored bills include...
- S. 3416: USPTO FEES Act
- S. 3354: Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 2018
- S. 3339: Protecting Access to the Courts for Taxpayers Act
- S.Res. 580: A resolution recognizing and supporting public awareness of the importance of trademarks and ...
- S.Res. 578: A resolution honoring the men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration on ...
- S. 3214: NOPEC
- S.Res. 558: A resolution designating July 30, 2018, as “National Whistleblower Appreciation Day”.
Voting Record
Key Votes
| Grassley’s Vote | Vote Description |
|---|---|
| Yea |
H.R. 5325: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017
Sep 28, 2016. Bill Passed 72/26.
|
| Yea |
On the Nomination PN327: Paula Xinis, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland
May 16, 2016. Nomination Confirmed 53/34.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 22: Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act
Dec 3, 2015. Conference Report Agreed to 83/16.
H.R 22, formerly the Hire More Heroes Act, has become the Senate’s vehicle for passage of the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act or DRIVE Act (S. 1647). The DRIVE Act is a major bipartisan transportation bill that would authorize funding ... |
| Yea |
H.J.Res. 124 (113th): Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015
Sep 18, 2014. Joint Resolution Passed 78/22.
|
| Nay |
H.R. 8 (112th): American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
Jan 1, 2013. Bill Passed 89/8.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (Pub.L. 112–240, H.R. 8, 126 Stat. 2313, enacted January 2, 2013) was passed by the United States Congress on January 1, 2013, and was signed into law by President Barack Obama the next day. The Act centers on ... |
| Nay |
H.R. 4310 (112th): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013
Dec 21, 2012. Conference Report Agreed to 81/14.
|
| Nay |
S.Res. 116 (112th): A resolution to provide for expedited Senate consideration of certain nominations subject to advice and consent.
Jun 29, 2011. Resolution Agreed to 89/8.
|
| Yea |
H.R. 4853 (111th): Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010
Dec 15, 2010. Motion Agreed to 81/19.
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (Pub.L. 111–312, H.R. 4853, 124 Stat. 3296, enacted December 17, 2010), also known as the 2010 Tax Relief Act, was passed by the United States Congress on December 16, 2010, and signed into ... |
Missed Votes
From Jan 1981 to Sep 2018, Grassley missed 36 of 12,770 roll call votes, which is 0.3%. This is better than the median of 1.5% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- @unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
- The House and Senate websites, for committee membership and voting records
- United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1990 by Howard L. Rosenthal and Keith T. Poole.
- Martis’s “The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress”, via Keith Poole’s roll call votes data set, for political party affiliation for Members of Congress from 1789 through about year 2000
- GPO Member Guide for the photo
- GovInfo.gov, for sponsored bills
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