Senator Chuck Grassley, aged 91, officially took the oath of office as Senate president pro tempore on Friday, placing him third in the presidential line of succession. This position is given to the longest-serving senator from the majority party.
Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, previously held the role of president pro tempore from 2019 to 2021, prior to the Democrats gaining control of the Senate. Despite ongoing concerns regarding President Joe Biden’s age and mental capacity, neither the executive nor legislative branches are becoming any younger. Donald Trump, at 78, is set to become the oldest president in U.S. history, and this current Congress ranks as the third oldest since its founding, as reported by NBC News.
The Senate’s average age stands at 63.8 years, while the House is slightly younger at 57.7 years.
In total, 20 members of Congress are 80 years old or older. While Chuck Grassley is the oldest active senator today, he is not the oldest to have served in this role. That distinction belongs to Strom Thurmond, a Republican from South Carolina, who held the title of president pro tempore at the age of 98 in 2001.
{Matzav.com}