After being in the minority party for many months, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is about to become chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee — again — when Republicans take control of the Senate next year. As Congress reconvenes today for its short “lame-duck” session, Grassley is looking forward to the things he wants to tackle when he is again the chairman. Grassley says the Medicare Inequity/Medicare Give-back Bill is his top priority, followed by prescription drugs for seniors, and then “making the tax bill of last year permanent legislation so people can see beyond just a few years what the tax law is going to be.” Grassley says several of his priorities may be accomplished even sooner than January.Grassley was asked if he’s very confident the Homeland Security initiative will win approval, and says he is.The independent-party candidate, Dean Barkley, takes office in the U.S. Senate today. Barkley was appointed by Minnesota’s Governor to fill out the term left by the death of Democrat Paul Wellstone. Iowa’s Senator Grassley says Barkley will have “absolutely no impact” on the dealings of the Senate, unless he just wants to “raise cain.”
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