Grassley to freshmen colleagues: Take care of constituents

CEDAR RAPIDS - Despite 34 years of experience as a U.S. senator, Chuck Grassley is restraining himself in advising his new teammate, freshman Sen. Joni Ernst.

Judging by some moves the newly elected Red Oak Republican has made, Grassley thinks she's on the right track.

'She has asked my opinion on several issues and I've given it to her,” Grassley said Wednesday during a conference call with Iowa reporters. 'I think I've let her take the initiative on asking my opinion. I think that's the way I should do it. She's a coequal of mine.”

Beyond that, Grassley said he would offer freshmen House members Reps. Rod Blum and David Young the same advice Rep. Charles Wiggins of California gave the freshman class of 1974.

'It was something along the lines of ‘If a little old lady wants her toenails clipped, clip her toenails,'” Grassley recounted.

Young, who was elected to succeed Rep. Tom Latham in Iowa's 3rd District, has heard that advice because he was a Grassley staffer for seven years.

'He knows how I think. I think he will be prepared to go to work,” Grassley said.

In fact, after Grassley gave that to Young shortly after he joined the senator's staff, Young went out and bought enough toenail clippers for the entire staff as a reminder of their mission.

Voters sometimes think the job of a member of Congress is debate and legislation 'and what goes on here” in Washington, Grassley said.

'That's half the job. The other half is what goes on with constituents,” he said.

He would advise the new members to take care of their constituents 'and let people know that you have not forgotten about your constituents … and when they need help journeying though the red tape of Washington you're there to help them.”