Chuck Grassley in 2016 IA Senate race

On War & Peace: Signed letter opposing Iranian nuclear deal

Q: On Iran: Support the US-Iran treaty that limits Iran's nuclear capability in return for lifting economic sanctions?

Grassley: No. Signed letter to Iran intended to make a deal more difficult to accomplish.

Judge: Yes

Q: On Iraq: Should the US recommit significant additional ground troops to Iraq to combat the success of ISIS?

Grassley: Unclear. In 2014 thought it was too early to make ground troop commitment.

Judge: No, but does support increased air strikes.

Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Iowa Senate race Oct 9, 2016

On Gun Control: No-fly lists are imperfect; allow gun sales to those on them

Patty Judge is stopping by in north Iowa to talk about gun control, and her feelings on the Orlando shooting. Judge is running against U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley. She expresses that what happened in Orlando is tragic, and supports taking the availability of purchasing a gun away from someone that is or has been on the terrorist watch list.

"If our government is afraid of someone to fly on an airplane then I don't think they need to have an assault weapon," Judge said. Grassley feels if you're on the list not to fly, you should still be able to purchase a gun. He stresses Senator Kennedy was once on that list and he was a good man. Grassley believes it's an issue of radical terrorism.

Source: KIMT Radio on 2016 Iowa Senate race Jun 15, 2016

On Drugs: Ardent and vocal opponent of marijuana legalization

The race in Iowa probably represents reformers' most important opportunity to oust a staunch marijuana prohibitionist from the Senate in 2016. Incumbent Sen. Charles Grassley (R) chairs the Judiciary Committee and has long been one of Congress's most ardent and vocal opponents of legalization. He has blocked bipartisan medical cannabis legislation from getting a hearing or a vote and has repeatedly criticized the Obama administration over its approach of generally respecting state marijuana laws.

In November, Grassley faces off against Democrat Patty Judge, Iowa's former lieutenant governor and secretary of agriculture. While Judge doesn't appear to have been especially vocal about marijuana laws one way or the other, replacing Grassley would be an enormous win for pro-legalization forces.

Advocates believe they have the votes in the Senate to approve broad medical cannabis legislation but that Grassley "has been unwilling to bring it or any other marijuana reform up for vote."

Source: Marijuana.com on 2016 Iowa Senate race Jun 13, 2016

On Crime: Expand mandatory minimum s for firearm & terrorism offenses

[In the bipartisan package of criminal justice reforms], Grassley's influence can be seen in provisions that increase the use of mandatory minimums. [One analyst] summarizes that the new bill would "expand mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses, enhancing their use to punish selected firearm crimes and creating new mandatory minimums for offenses related to domestic violence and supporting terrorism." These changes "may address one of the common criticisms of mandatory minimums, which can result in heavier penalties for drug crimes than far graver offenses, such as violent crime."

Current firearm-related provisions dictate draconian penalties for people who never actually wield a gun--[the new package imposes] longer sentences for "selected firearm crimes." Likewise with "new mandatory minimums" for "supporting terrorism," which can include nonviolent actions such as donating money to the wrong charity or even exercising the right to freedom of speech.

Source: Reason Magazine on 2016 Iowa Senate race Oct 1, 2015

On Drugs: End mandatory life sentence for three drug convictions

Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate reportedly have reached agreement on a package of criminal justice reforms that they plan to unveil today, including shorter sentences for some drug offenders and a greater emphasis on rehabilitation. Since the proposed legislation is supported by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), an unreconstructed drug warrior and fan of mandatory minimum sentences, you can be sure it does not go as far as it should and includes elements that are hard to swallow. But on balance it sounds like a step in the right direction.

According to MSNBC, the proposal would "end the federal 'three strikes' rule." Presumably that refers to the mandatory life sentence for people convicted of three drug offenses, as opposed to the mandatory life sentence for people convicted of two "serious violent felonies" plus a "serious drug offense." The Smarter Sentencing Act, introduced last February, would change the former sentence to a 25-year term.

Source: Reason Magazine on 2016 Iowa Senate race Oct 1, 2015

The above quotations are from 2016 Iowa Senate race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2016 Iowa Senate race: debates and news coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Chuck Grassley. Click here for a profile of Chuck Grassley.
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