Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley will undergo surgery after injuring his hip on Jan. 10.
“He is otherwise in good spirits and is expected to make a full recovery,” his office said in a statement.
Grassley won his eighth term in office in November and serves as the president pro tempore emeritus. The 89-year-old senator was first elected to the United States Senate in 1981. His current term will end on Jan. 3, 2029.
His grandson, Speaker of the Iowa House Pat Grassley, swore him in on Jan. 3.
In a Jan. 6 message, Grassley said he will “strive every day to uphold the blessings of liberty and economic freedom and strengthen the promise of prosperity for generations to come.”
During the 119th Congress, Grassley will serve as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee.
“A primary objective of my work is to make the government work effectively and efficiently for the taxpayer and hold it accountable to the American people,” he said. “It is reckless for Washington to continue flagrant overspending in massive omnibus bills from one year to the next. It drives up the debt, burdens the next generation to foot the bill and obscures accountability. This reckless approach is the polar opposite of paying it forward, it sends America backward and digs a hole for our children and grandchildren to fill.”
The 118th Congress is the third of the oldest assembly since 1789. According to data analysis from NBC News, the average age of a senator in 2023 is 63.9. A member of the House of Representatives is 57.5 years old on average.
“The average age of the 118th Congress is half a year younger than the 117th,” reports the outlet. “But historical data shows this is an anomaly, as both the Senate and the House have aged significantly in the past four decades: the Senate by about 12 years, and the House by 9 years. By comparison, the median age in the U.S. has increased nearly 9 years since 1980.”
California Congresswoman Diane Feinstein, who was born on June 22, 1933, is the oldest member of the current Senate. Grassley was born on September 17, 1933.
Grassley is one of several members of Congress who began this year’s term with serious health concerns.
Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin announced on Dec. 29 that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma and would begin treatment. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania announced on Jan. 5 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Both Democrats are said to have good prognoses.
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson tweeted that she was "praying for a full and speedy recovery for Senator Chuck Grassley."
"I know he’ll be back to his morning runs in no time," Hinson wrote.
Grassley's fellow Iowa Senator Joni Ernst shared a similar sentiment.
