Grassley likely to lead Judiciary Committee

CEDAR RAPIDS - A farmer from Iowa likely will become the first nonlawyer to lead the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, is in line to lead the committee that considers federal judicial appointments, including Supreme Court nominations, as well as handles oversight of the Department of Justice and agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.

Based on his seniority - Grassley will be the fourth most senior member of the Senate - and position as ranking chairman on the Judiciary and Finance committees, the New Hartford Republican had his choice of leading either of those committees or the Budget Committee.

Grassley's chairmanship likely will be made official when Republicans, who won a Senate majority in last Tuesday's election, decide this week on committee assignments for the new Congress that begins in January.

The possibility that Grassley would lead the committee became an issue in the campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Tom Harkin. Democratic U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley warned fellow lawyers at a Texas fundraiser that if the GOP gained control of the Senate, 'you might have a farmer from Iowa who never went to law school, never practiced law, serving as the next chair of the Senate Judiciary.”

Despite apologizing to Grassley, Braley's comment was used against him throughout the campaign. He lost to state Sen. Joni Ernst.

Although he's not an attorney, Grassley, 81, has been a member of the Judiciary Committee since taking office in 1981. The committee is where Grassley launched his crusade to expose fraud against the government. His 1986 amendments to the False Claims Act have helped taxpayers recover nearly $40 billion that otherwise would be lost to fraud.

A farmer and sheet metal worker who served in the Iowa Legislature and U.S. House, Grassley never expected to serve on the committee. However, Sen. Strom Thurmond called him the day after the 1980 election to urge him to join. When Grassley told Thurmond he wasn't a lawyer, he was told the Judiciary Committee has a provision for members to hire an attorney to serve on their staffs.

A six-term senator who will be up for re-election in 2016, Grassley anticipates an active role for the committee.

'I'll be conferring with members of the Judiciary Committee to put together an agenda that promotes an environment where innovators can create jobs, policy reflects the rule of law, and our civil liberties are strengthened without undermining the efforts of law enforcement or our intelligence community,” Grassley said.

Of particular interest to Grassley are a variety of economic issues, such as patent reform.

'The Judiciary Committee also handles issues key to keeping America on the cutting edge of technology and business growth,” he said.

The committee likely will consider legislation that protects consumers, reduces regulatory burdens, curbs abuse of the civil justice system and, of particular interest to Grassley, protects taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse.

Judiciary also will be involved in the immigration reform debate and adapting criminal laws to rapidly advancing technology, Grassley said.

Grassley also promised careful review of presidential nominations to federal courts, including the Supreme Court.

'Lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary deserve scrutiny,” he said. 'The Judiciary Committee should not be a rubber stamp for the president.”

Grassley takes seriously Congress' oversight function, which, he said, too often is overlooked.

'So, anybody who knows my efforts in this area will understand that the Judiciary Committee's work will reflect that sentiment,” he said. 'My goal is to promote transparency and accountability and restore the committee's role as a true check on the massive and powerful federal bureaucracy.”