Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving US Senator, hospitalized due to infection

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the oldest member of the US Senate, has been hospitalized for an infection and is undergoing antibiotic treatment in his home state of Iowa. Due to his hospitalization, Grassley will be absent for a vote on a short-term spending bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown. This is not the first time Grassley has missed a vote, as he previously had a perfect attendance record for 27 years before testing positive for COVID-19 in 2020. Grassley's office reassured the public that he is in good spirits and will return to work when his doctors deem it appropriate. Although no further details about the infection were given, Grassley is expected to bounce back soon. Grassley, who became the oldest member of the Senate after the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein in September, has served since 1980 and has been re-elected seven times. Apart from his absence due to COVID-19, his last missed vote was in 1993 during severe floods in Iowa. Grassley joins a list of elderly legislators who have faced health concerns and hospitalizations in recent months. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, was hospitalized last spring after a fall. While Grassley's absence for health reasons is understandable, his party faces a critical moment as they aim to reach a spending agreement with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. On Tuesday night, his colleagues will vote on a short-term deal that would keep the government funded until March. Without an agreement, certain government agencies risk running out of funding by Friday.