[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7047-S7048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Senator Chuck Grassley

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday something extremely rare 
happened here in this Chamber, something so unusual that only a few of 
us current Senators had ever seen it before--a rollcall vote that did 
not include the name of our President pro tempore and distinguished 
colleague from Iowa, Senator Chuck Grassley.
  Before yesterday, the senior Senator from Iowa had not missed a 
single vote in this body since 1993, when he was in Iowa helping with 
historic flooding.
  Since then, across 27 years and 8,927 votes, Senator Grassley had 
shown up for every single one. It is by far the longest such streak in 
Senate history.
  Senator Grassley broke the previous record back in January of 2016 
and obviously continued to extend it for almost 5 years.
  This show of diligence and dedication is remarkable by any measure. 
But because of who Senator Grassley is, it hasn't seemed remarkable at 
all. That incredible commitment to serving Iowans and working around 
the clock is just who our colleague is. That devotion is just his daily 
routine.
  This is the Senator who manages to visit all 99 counties in Iowa 
every single year. We call it the ``full Grassley.'' Nearly 9,000 
consecutive Senate votes must have seemed like a cakewalk by 
comparison.
  But yesterday, our colleague's streak had to be temporarily placed on 
hold. On the advice of doctors, after close contact with someone who 
had later tested positive for the coronavirus, Senator Grassley began 
self-quarantining yesterday morning.
  Later in the day, our colleague let us know he had tested positive 
himself, underscoring why his good judgment to follow doctor's orders 
while awaiting his test result was the right decision.
  So our colleague's historic run has been put on pause for the same 
reason that it was compiled in the first place--leadership, service to 
others, and a determination to set the right example.
  On Monday, in his floor remarks, our colleague reminded all Americans 
of our duties in this moment:

       Although promising vaccines for the coronavirus are on the 
     horizon, it is more important than ever to stop the surge. . 
     . . Wash your hands; limit your activity outside your 
     household; social distance; wear a mask. We are going to get 
     through this together, but we need everyone to do their part.


[[Page S7048]]


  All of the Senate's thoughts and prayers are with our distinguished 
colleague, who reported yesterday evening that he still feels fine. We 
hope that will remain the case. Certainly, if any Member of this body 
has the good health and stamina to kick the virus to the curb, it is 
Senator Grassley.
  So we will look forward to seeing him soon.