Grassley meets with bank employees, community leaders in Wellsburg

Longtime U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley stopped in Wellsburg on his annual 99-county tour Tuesday morning to discuss finance laws and regulations, trade, health care, pharmaceutical costs, ethanol waivers and the state of bipartisanship with a group of about 20 People’s Savings Bank employees, community leaders and local farmers.
           
Grassley, a New Hartford native who’s currently serving his seventh term, is traveling a bit heavier these days: as the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, he gets a security detail for all official visits. After touring the bank, he visited a nearby building that PSB is currently in the process of renovating before sitting down at the Wellsburg Public Library to take questions from the audience.
 
During the stop, the Senator echoed his familiar refrain that Washington, D.C., is “an island surrounded by reality” where legislators believe they have the answers to every problem.
 
“Even if you’ve got private businesses out there, it’s so connected to the government that everything is government,” he said. “They don’t have wisdom. They don’t have common sense. If you’re wondering why I come home every weekend, you’ve got to come home to get your feet in the ground.”
 
In a candid moment, the 85-year-old reflected on his trials and tribulations during the confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who faced sexual assault accusations from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and the comfort he received knowing that supporters were praying for him.
 
Grassley served as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time and eventually voted in favor of Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Pastor Joel Wories of the Wellsburg URC commended him for doing a “fantastic job” handling the process and drew applause from across the room. 
 
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