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Grassley: Gay marriage "bigger than I anticipated"
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · May 04, 2011
Fielding questions for almost an hour from students, U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley shared his thoughts on gay marriage, Donald Trump, President Obama, nuclear weapons, Social Security and his relationship with fellow Iowa Senator Tom Harkin.
Grassley, who visited West Branch High School on Friday afternoon, said he was surprised at phone calls his office received when gay marriage was allowed in Iowa.
“It was a bigger issue in 2010 than I anticipated,” he said.
He said he does not want to see gay marriage recognized at the federal level, but he also does not approve of efforts to impeach Iowa judges that overturned the statewide ban.
“How can you argue when things are done constitutionally?” he said.
Grassley said he does not know billionaire Donald Trump very well, but believes he must be a “very good businessman.” A month ago, he did not think Trump would run for president, but now he’s not so sure. But Grassley said that among those who may run on the Republican ticket — whether or not they have declared — he’s not sure who he would back.
“None of them really lit the fire,” he said.
The Republican senator said he has met and talked with presidents, but frequency varies. During Obama’s first year, he talked with him at least once a month because Grassley was part of a bipartisan panel trying to reform health care. But in the last 15 months he has only spoken to him three or four times.
Party affiliation has a lot to do with it as well, he said, noting that he spoke more frequently with President Bush, but a lot less with President Clinton.
The 77-year-old farmer said he voted in favor of the first two Strategic Arms Reduction treaties, but voted against the third because he felt it needed more debate.
“They tried to hurry it up and get it done before Christmas,” he said of the Senate. He was also concerned that there was not enough included to ensure safe and secure delivery of nuclear weapons.
Grassley said he and Harkin, a Democrat, are friendly to each other and when it comes to Iowa issues — like agriculture and ethanol — the two of them almost always agree.
“I can’t remember a bitter confrontation” with Harkin, he said. “Even if we (disagree) we’re very cordial and respectful.”
Grassley said he believes Social Security needs to be changed to prepare for when the rest of the Baby Boomers begin taking benefits.
He explained that, since 1984, more money has been going into Social Security than is being paid out, but that is predicted to end in 2017 — just six years from now. If that happens, the money will run out in 2037 or 2038, some four or five years earlier than predicted before the recession.
“If we don’t do something, only 70 percent of the benefits will be paid out,” Grassley said.
Asked about what he felt were his “greatest achievements” in Washington, Grassley named three: 1. Getting Part D passed in Medicare to include many more prescription drugs; 2. Passing the Congressional Accountability Law that required Congress to follow many of the civil rights and anti-discrimination laws that applied to the rest of the country; and 3. Passing the False Claims Act, which gives whistleblowers a portion of the money government reclaims when private agencies fraudulently use taxpayer dollars.
The senator also told the students that it takes hard work to follow and fully understand legislative issues, but said the Internet gives them access to much more information that was hard to get before.
“I think that strengthens our democracy, not weakens it,” he said.
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