Sen. Chuck Grassley, 87, of Iowa tests positive for coronavirus. ‘I’m feeling good.’
Sen. Chuck Grassley, 87, announced Tuesday on Twitter that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Grassley, the Senate president pro tempore and second-oldest senator, is a Republican from Iowa. He had earlier announced that he was quarantining after coming in contact with someone with the virus.
“I’ll b following my doctors’ orders/CDC guidelines & continue to quarantine,” Grassley wrote on Twitter. “I’m feeling good + will keep up on my work for the ppl of Iowa from home. I appreciate everyone’s well wishes + prayers &look fwd to resuming my normal schedule soon.”
Grassley is the latest of more than two dozen members of Congress to come down with COVID-19, including fellow senators Rand Paul, Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, National Public Radio reported.
As president pro tempore, he’s the senior member of the Republican majority and third in line to succeed the president, behind Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the Associated Press reported.
Elected to the U.S. House in 1974 and the Senate in 1980, Grassley currently serves as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, according to the AP. He broke his 27-year record of not missing a vote Tuesday, having last missed a vote in 1993.
In an October interview, Grassley had encouraged people to follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for curbing the spread of coronavirus, the N’West Iowa Review reported.
“I would advise people — whether it’s a mandate or not — wear a mask, it makes a big difference,” Grassley said, according to the publication. “As far as I’m concerned there’s no known negatives against wearing a mask.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, is the oldest currently serving senator, also at age 87. She is 87 days older than Grassley.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 6:11 PM with the headline "Sen. Chuck Grassley, 87, of Iowa tests positive for coronavirus. ‘I’m feeling good.’."