Grassley, after Feinstein’s death, now oldest sitting U.S. senator

Iowa’s senior U.S. senator is now America’s senior U.S. senator.

California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein died Friday at 90. Her passing makes Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, who turned 90 this month, now the oldest active senator.

“Dianne Feinstein did an outstanding job in the U.S. Senate representing the people of California,” Grassley said in a statement. “I worked closely with her as a member of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and the Senate Judiciary Committee. During the time I was Judiciary chairman and she was the ranking Democrat, we had a wonderful working relationship. She was a true public servant. Barbara and I send our condolences and prayers to the Feinstein family.”

Feinstein and Grassley were the top Democrat and Republican, respectively, on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017 and 2018, when Republicans had the majority. They sometimes clashed during the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. In September of that year, Grassley and Feinstein had a tense exchange during Feinstein’s opening statement at a hearing with Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a social gathering in the 1980s.

Grassley and Feinstein also worked together on a number of issues and pieces of legislation over the years, including supports for human trafficking victims, combating drug trafficking, and addressing methamphetamine abuse.

Grassley has served in the U.S. Senate since 1981.

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