The longest current serving member of the United States Senate was recently sworn-in as the highest position of the chamber.

Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa is serving for the second time in his over four decades in the US Senate as President Pro Tem, putting him third in line to the President of the United States. The first time he served as Senate President Pro Tem was in 2019-2021. Grassley tells Raccoon Valley Radio that he has the highest seniority in the Senate, which automatically makes him President Pro Tem as he describes what the environment was like in the Senate chamber the day he officially became third in line to the presidency.

“Unlike the swearing-in of the 34 members that were elected or re-elected, about a half hour before I was sworn-in (as President Pro Tem) the chamber was full at that particular time and when I was sworn-in as President Pro Tem there was hardly anybody in the Senate chamber. So it’s more of a proforma sort of thing to do and now I’m going to serve in this position at least for two years and hopefully we’re (the Republican Party) in the majority for a longer period of time than that.”

Not only is Grassley serving as Senate President Pro Tem, he re-claims the position of Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, due to the Republican Party having the majority of members in the Senate.