Anonymous GOP senator concerned about Grassley, 91, reclaiming key judiciary committee chair: report

An anonymous Republican legislator has reportedly expressed interest astir 91-year-old Sen. Chuck Grassely, R-Iowa, reclaiming his presumption arsenic seat of the almighty Senate Judiciary Committee should the GOP instrumentality power of the precocious chamber.

Whether Donald Trump oregon Kamala Harris wins successful November, the adjacent Senate Judiciary Committee Chair could oversee respective Supreme Court nominations and different judicial picks.

The unnamed GOP senator, who sits connected the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke to Punchbowl News connected information of anonymity, questioning Grassley's quality to powerfully combat against the committee's highest ranking Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, arsenic good arsenic a White House led by Harris. 

"Chuck is highly sharp. A batch of it is conscionable his disposition — he’s not a weapon fighter. He’s conscionable excessively genteel for that," the legislator said. "I’ve watched Durbin operate, and helium is bully astatine his job. He volition not hesitate."

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Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, participates successful a proceeding connected the attempted assassination of erstwhile President Trump convened by the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees successful Washington, D.C., connected July 30, 2024.  (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Though respective senators and aides reportedly uncertainty Grassley's quality arsenic a "fighter" to instrumentality connected apt attacks connected aboriginal Trump Supreme Court nominations, Punchbowl News said their interest was not the aforesaid arsenic what the Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., faced. She stepped down arsenic the committee's apical Democrat successful 2020. 

Progressives shredded Feinstein's handling of the nominations of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and the legislator besides faced questions astir her intelligence fitness. 

Another GOP legislator told Punchbowl News that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito perchance could discontinue next year, and Democrats person disquieted astir Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s health.

"The stakes are going to beryllium high," that legislator told Punchbowl News. 

Those who support Grassley enactment however the nonagenarian guided anterior Trump Supreme Court nominations done their Senate confirmation hearings contempt aggravated backlash from Democrats and different groups. 

They besides recognition the eight-term legislator for the existent Supreme Court blimpish majority, arsenic Grassley and different GOP senators successful 2016 decided to forgo the hearings needed to beforehand Merrick Garland's information to the precocious court. That effort, however, was mostly led by then-Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

"No 1 is amended prepared to pb the Senate Judiciary Committee than Senator Grassley," Clare Slattery, a spokesperson for Grassley, told Fox News Digital. "He has a proven way grounds of success, having confirmed an historical fig of constitutionally-sound judges, and helium continues to acceptable the golden modular for legislature oversight and investigations."

"Simply put, cipher outworks Chuck Grassley," she said. "Senator Grassley looks guardant to continuing to present connected his stone coagulated blimpish grounds arsenic Judiciary Chairman successful the adjacent Republican Senate Majority."

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"Even astatine property 91, Grassley runs circles astir his colleagues," Mike Davis, Grassley’s erstwhile main counsel for nominations, told Punchbowl News. "It is wishful reasoning if radical deliberation he’s not going to beryllium the adjacent Republican seat of Senate Judiciary. Trump volition be precise blessed it’s Grassley due to the fact that Grassley has proven he’s precise effectual for Trump."

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, astatine the U.S. Capitol connected Tuesday, September 24, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"Would immoderate different legislator person been capable to bash what Grassley did?" Michael Zona, a erstwhile apical Grassley aide, said to Punchbowl News. "Has anyone had much occurrence successful confirming judges than Grassley? Who other has demonstrated they won’t buckle nether governmental unit much than Grassley?"

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the existent ranking subordinate of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is 2nd successful seniority to Grassley, who close present is the highest ranking Republican connected the Senate Budget Committee. 

Graham, who immoderate conservatives fearfulness arsenic a imaginable seat of the Judiciary Committee fixed his grounds of voting for Democrat judicial picks, told Punchbowl News connected Monday helium holds "all the assurance successful the satellite successful Sen. Grassley’s quality to seat the Senate Judiciary Committee."