Iowans are well aware that U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley is a hard worker. The fact that he visits all 99 Iowa counties every year is ample evidence of that.

But few probably know that Grassley, a Republican, is a record-holder within the United States Senate.

He holds the record for the longest length of time without missing a vote in the history of the Senate.

Since 1993, he has cast 8,927 votes on the floor of the Senate.

He has not missed a vote in the Senate since 1993.

Grassley actually broke the record for going the longest time without missing a vote in January 2016, and kept on voting for another four years.

COVID-19 broke his streak on Tuesday. After learning he had been exposed to COVID-19, Grassley stayed away from the Senate that day and was tested for the virus. He announced on Tuesday evening that he had tested postive, He is now quarantining, although he has no symptoms.

A day in the Senate without Grassley is so rare that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, felt compelled to comment on it. He described Grassley’s absence as ”something so unusual that only a few of us current senators had ever seen it before.”

There is a lot more to being a senator than voting, but casting votes on the bills and nominees that come before the Senate is the crux of the job. That is when senators truly act on behalf of those who elected them.

Iowans may disagree with some of the votes Grassley casts, but they cannot question his dedication to the job. He approaches the task with the work ethic of the Iowa farmer that he is.

We thank Grassley for his long stretch of working on behalf of Iowans. We look forward to him returning to the floor of the Senate and casting more votes.