Dialogue is the essence of representative government.
That’s why Senator Grassley has held at least one Q&A with constituents in each of Iowa’s 99 counties every year since coming to the Senate in 1981. #99CountyMeetings
When Senator Grassley is in Washington, he reserves several hours each day to meet with Iowans visiting our nation’s capital. Schedule your meeting.
Iowans can also share their views with Senator Grassley by calling or sending a message. He responds to every message he receives from Iowans. You can also follow him on social media.
Senator Grassley places a high priority on not only hearing from Iowans, but lending a hand as well. In 2021, he responded to more than 280,000 messages from Iowans and assisted Iowans in nearly 3,000 cases with federal agencies.
THE FULL GRASSLEY
(noun) — 1. act of visiting all 99 Iowa counties in a single calendar year or political campaign cycle;
2. notion of meeting people where they are and constantly being accessible to them.
— Des Moines Register “Three Tickets” podcast
A government of the people should work for the people.
Regardless of political party, Senator Grassley conducts robust oversight to improve government functions for the people it serves. An often overlooked role of Congress is to ensure the laws it passes are faithfully executed. Senator Grassley is committed to restoring Congress’ oversight tools and is not shy about shining a light on the darkest corners of government.
Transparency brings accountability.
Whistleblowers are key to identifying fraud, waste and misconduct. Often referred to as the “patron saint of whistleblowers,” Grassley has pushed oversight and legislation to protect and empower these patriotic truth tellers.
Being accountable means holding yourself to the standard you set for others. Senator Grassley has long worked to force Congress to live by its own rules. He authored the historic Congressional Accountability Act, requiring workplace laws to be applied to Congress, and secured amendments to the Affordable Care Act to make the sweeping health care overhaul apply to members of Congress.
Senator Grassley invites others to hold him accountable as well. He holds multiple regularly scheduled calls with the news media each week and, like in his town meetings, the participants set the agenda. In 2019 Senator Grassley held more than 550 scheduled news media interviews as well as many other impromptu press gaggles.
As the longest serving senator in Iowa history,
Senator Grassley has earned a reputation for diligence and reliability. He is consistently ranked among the Senate’s most bipartisan and most effective lawmakers. In 2019, Senator Grassley led the Senate in bills enacted into law. As the 91st Senate President pro tempore, Senator Grassley holds an influential seat in Senate leadership.
Senator Grassley holds the record for the longest stretch without missing a vote. His last missed vote was in 1993, when he was in Iowa responding to historic flooding. This is a reflection of Iowa’s strong work ethic and Senator Grassley’s commitment to serving the people of Iowa at home and in the nation’s capital.