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My home is in New Hartford, Iowa, in the same precinct where I was born. Four of my five grown children live nearby. I married my wife Barbara in 1954. She earned her college degree and rejoined the workforce after raising our family in Iowa. She’s a breast cancer survivor and an inspiration. I farm corn and soybeans with my son Robin and his son Patrick. The labor on our farm is all done by members of our family. Before I was first elected to represent Iowans in the U.S. Senate in 1980, I served in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years and in the Iowa House of Representatives for 16 years. Today one of my grandsons holds that seat in the Iowa House. I was a member of a labor union from 1962-1971, and worked as a sheet metal shearer and assembly line worker during those years. Today I work in Washington and return to Iowa when the Senate is not in session for meetings with constituents and to keep in touch. I read whatever I can about public policy issues, political opinion, current events and history. I’m the 8th most senior member of the U.S. Senate. I started jogging in 2000, and get in a two or three mile run most days at 5:30 am, before going to work on Capitol Hill.

I’ve held a meeting in each of Iowa’s 99 counties at least once every year for 31 consecutive years to keep in touch with constituents and foster the process of representative government. In Washington, I sit on the Judiciary, Finance, Budget, Agriculture, and Joint Tax committees and co-chair the Caucus on Narcotics Control. As Chairman of the Finance Committee starting in 2001 and ending in 2007, I shepherded through Congress major tax cuts for individuals, families, renewable energy, education, and job-creating investment; helped win approval for seven international trade agreements; and sponsored a landmark bill to create the Medicare prescription drug benefit. I’m active with legislation affecting agriculture, the federal budget and within the broad-based jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, including immigration, criminal justice, anti-trust, intellectual property, federal courts and judges, and bankruptcy. Beyond legislation, I make it a priority to conduct oversight of the executive branch of government and hold the bureaucracy accountable to taxpayers and the people who rely on federal programs.

“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

“A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money.” Attributed to U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Judiciary Committee (ranking member), Finance Committee, Agriculture Committee, Budget Committee, Joint Tax Committee, Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control (Co-Chairman), Senate Caucus on Foster Youth (Co-Chairman) Senate Anti-Meth Caucus (Co-Chairman), Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, Farm Bureau, Alpha Gamma Rho, the Butler County and State of Iowa Historical Societies, Pi Gamma Mu, Kappa Delta Pi, International Association of Machinists 1962-71, Masons, Eagles, Baptist Church

Jogging, following UNI athletics, my iPhone, reading newspapers, history, farming, ice cream, chocolate

John Adams by David McCollough

The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose