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Grassley Assumes Senate Judiciary Chairmanship

Gage Skidmore
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is the first non-lawyer to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee.

With the 114th Congress sworn in, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley takes the reins of the Senate Judiciary Committee as chairman.

The Iowa Republican says one of his top priorities is to continue confirmation hearings for vacancies within the Obama administration.

"Most immediate will be before the end of this month, probably, starting on the new attorney general and the deputy attorney general," Grassley says. "There’s some pieces of legislation that have some bipartisan support; and then maybe later on, get into some things that are maybe not as bipartisan, (such) as immigration reform, as an example."

Grassley says that oversight will play an important role in his chairmanship. He takes over the position from Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat. 

Grassley is the first non-lawyer to head the committee.