Grassley Details Legislative Priorities for the Remainder of the 119th Congress

Grassley Details Legislative Priorities for the Remainder of the 119th Congress

Floor Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Senate President Pro Tempore
"119th Congress End-of-Year Priorities"
Thursday, November 12, 2026

VIDEO

With the 2026 midterm elections behind us, Congress must finish its work for this Congress.

On my agenda for Iowans in the coming weeks: first of all, confirming President Trump's remaining judicial nominees to lifetime appointments on the federal branch, and that's a responsibility that falls on my shoulders as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

And then, obviously, we know it costs money to shut the government down. It costs taxpayer money to open the government up. So, keeping the government open beyond the short-term funding bill that expires on December 11th ought to be high on the agenda.

And then, passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which we have done for 65 years in a row. And that legislation includes stuff out of my Judiciary Committee that protects kids who are in danger of the things that are online.

And then enacting a Farm Bill that contains year-round nationwide E15 ethanol and addresses high input costs that farmers face.

And then passing common sense permitting reform to unlock the American infrastructure and reduce government red tape. And that permitting bill is the subject of debate right now on the floor of the United States Senate.

And then, lastly, something that I've been involved in for decades to emphasize the responsibilities that we have to maintain rural healthcare.

That would include reauthorizing the Medicare-dependent and low-volume hospital programs, the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program and a Medicare payment floor for rural state doctors and clinics.

As we look to the 120th Congress, I've personally congratulated the new members of the Iowa federal delegation on their elections. I look forward to working with all of those new members on behalf of the people of Iowa.

The next Congress has a lot to accomplish, and I'm ready to work with these new members and the members of both parties to get things done.

Affordability was front and center in this election and must be the bipartisan focus next year. Any serious affordability agenda will need to focus on fiscal sanity and reduce waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs.

Our national debt now stands at levels we've not seen since the end of World War II, while Social Security is projected to become insolvent in just six years, and Medicare shortly thereafter. We must find a bipartisan solution to a very real fiscal crisis that has been staring Congress in the face for too long of a time.

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