All Eyes on Iowa’s Grassley for Supreme Court Nominee’s Fate

Sen. Chuck Grassley—farmer, onetime sheet metal shearer, six-term senator and Judiciary Committee chairman—has a major say in whether President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee even gets a hearing.
All Eyes on Iowa’s Grassley for Supreme Court Nominee’s Fate
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 10, 2016. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
The Associated Press
Updated:

WASHINGTON—Sen. Chuck Grassley—farmer, onetime sheet metal shearer, six-term senator and Judiciary Committee chairman—has a major say in whether President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee even gets a hearing.

So far, the 82-year-old Iowa lawmaker has delivered a somewhat muddled message.

Hours after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death one week ago, Grassley issued a statement that echoed his Republican leader, Mitch McConnell. “It only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president to select the next Supreme Court justice,” Grassley said.

But three days later, Grassley said on a conference call with reporters that he would “wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decisions” on whether to hold a hearing. “In other words, take it a step at a time,” he said.

I would say this isn't about a person at this point. This is about a process.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)