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GERONTOCRACY

Senator, 91, Claims Position as Third in Line for Presidency

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is the longest-serving congressional Republican.

Chuck Grassley (R-IA) leaves the Senate floor as the Senate is working through the weekend on a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel at the US Capitol on February 11, 2024 in Washington, DC. The bill includes $60 billion to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel, $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance and $4.8 billion to support regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region, among other provisions, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

By Grace Harrington

Sen. Chuck Grassley, 91, was sworn in as Senate president pro tempore on Friday, making him third in line to the presidency. The position goes to the longest-serving senator of the majority party. The Iowa Republican previously served as president pro tempore from 2019 to 2021, before Democrats took control of the Senate. Even after months of concerns about the age and mental fitness of President Joe Biden, neither the presidency nor Congress is getting any younger. Donald Trump will be the oldest president ever to take office at 78, and this Congress is the third oldest since its creation, according to NBC News. The average age in the Senate is 63.8 years, while the House’s average age is 57.7 years. Twenty members of Congress are 80 years or older. Though Chuck Grassley is currently the oldest sitting senator, he isn’t the oldest senator or president pro tempore ever. That was the South Carolina Republican Strom Thurmond, who served as president pro tempore at the age of 98 in 2001.

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Grace Harrington
Grace HarringtonBreaking News Intern

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