I’ve never thought Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa was likely to retire, especially after Tom Vilsack’s appointment as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture took the A-list challenger out of contention. (Only an unexpectedly tough re-election campaign, in my opinion, might have pushed Grassley toward retirement.)
The Hill reported today that Grassley has reached an agreement with his colleague Jeff Sessions of Alabama:
Under terms of the deal, Sessions will serve as ranking member [of the Senate Judiciary Committee] until the 112th Congress, when he will take over the ranking member post on the Senate Budget Committee. Current Budget Committee ranking member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) is retiring at the end of the 111th Congress.
Grassley, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, will then become ranking member on the Judiciary Committee.
It’s a good deal for Grassley. Even though the Judiciary Committee will consider at least one Supreme Court nominee before 2011, the Senate Finance Committee will help write important health care and tax legislation this year.
Grassley has long wanted to be the ranking member at Judiciary, a position that opened up last week when Senator Arlen Specter switched to the Democratic Party. His deal with Sessions removes any doubt about whether Grassley intends to stick around for one more term.
I’m sorry to say that I see little prospect of any Democrat beating Grassley in 2010.
For a long time my money’s been on Grassley retiring in 2016, when his grandson, Iowa House Representative Pat Grassley, will be old enough to run for the U.S. Senate.
I know rumours have circulated that Steve King or some other far right challenger will take on Grassley – I personally doubt it is likely to happen, but would love to know what the intelligence on the ground from Iowa is….