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Americans feeling a pinch in their pocketbooks need not look far for someone to blame, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The Iowa Republican, who has represented the Hawkeye State in Washington, D.C. since 1981, said during a May 31 visit to Primghar the Biden Administration's policies have exacerbated inflation nationwide. Unless the president reverses course on energy policy, Grassley expected high gas prices and other elevated expenses to continue.

"When we shut down pipelines and we stop drilling in the United States, and when we put additional regulations on fracking and tell banks not to loan money to the energy companies, what would you expect?" Grassley asked the crowd of approximately two-dozen people at the Primghar Community Building. "The price of gasoline goes up."

Grassley said inflated fuel prices have not only driven up the price of groceries, but also other products like anhydrous, potash and phosphorous. He believed the key to reducing costs hinged on reducing the price of petroleum products.

"If you want to get gas prices down, you have to reverse those policies," he said. "I'm not sure the president is inclined to do that."

The price of gas wasn't the only thing on guests' minds last week during the town hall meeting. A variety of questions regarding gun laws, the 25th Amendment and partisan gridlock in Washington greeted the long-time senator during his hour-long visit to the county seat.

• Border policy, immigration

Grassley said America's southern border with Mexico was experiencing a "crisis" due to illegal immigration. The cause was simple, he said – the Biden Administration isn't enforcing the law.

"We make law, and the president enforces the law," he explained. "If he isn't going to enforce the law, what can you do for a president that's not going to enforce the law?"

Grassley isn't against immigration, noting the United States is "the most welcoming nation on the face of this earth." However, he'd prefer immigrants go through the proper channels to become American citizens.

Grassley favored approving funding to finish building the wall on the border. One constituent expressed frustration with Congress' inability to pass reforms on immigration policy that make the system less convoluted so people wouldn't take a back door into the country. Grassley said he was willing to compromise on certain changes, but didn't think there was consensus in Washington to get much done.

• Gun law

Recent mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas, concerned the senator. He believed the system failed in those cases, as background checks should have prevented the shooters from obtaining guns.

Both shooters had a history of mental illness and other issues. Grassley was disappointed they weren't in the nation's database and flagged when they attempted to purchase a firearm.

"If their name had been in the database, they wouldn't have been able to buy a gun," he said. "I don't think there's any doubt about that we [don't] want people with mental illness, criminal records or [a history of] domestic violence to be able buy a gun. If their name doesn't get in [the database], then they can still buy a gun."

Grassley believed there needed to be more "incentives" to enter names in the database, though he didn't elaborate on what those incentives should be. He said the Senate is investigating bipartisan ways to reduce gun violence, however, the situation is hard to address.

"I think people are listening to their constituents," he said. "You got a lot of NRA members; you got a lot of people that aren't in the NRA that belong to another organization that is still more protective of the Second Amendment. But you still also have the Second Amendment that's part of the Constitution that you have to respect as well."

• Abortion

A recently leaked U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding Roe v. Wade has anti-abortion activists and Republicans excited. Grassley, who is against abortion, said he was holding out further judgment on the issue until the final case ruling is released later this month.

"But you can say, based on what was leaked, that they're going to overturn Roe v. Wade," he said.

If Roe is overturned, Grassley noted it would be up to the states to move forward with any further restrictions on abortion.

"I think we've gotta wait until this decision comes out before we really know what's the situation," he said.

• 25th Amendment

One constituent expressed concern about President Joe Biden's ability to perform the duties of the Oval Office due to perceived age-related cognitive issues. Pointing to videos she had seen of the president, she believed Biden was unfit for office and wanted to see the 25th Amendment invoked.

The amendment provides the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation. Grassley doubted there was any real chance of Biden being removed from office, and said his one and only visit with the president didn't give any indication that Biden couldn't perform the job.

"But I'm not a psychologist, I'm not a psychiatrist and I'm not a doctor," Grassley said. "I'll leave that to medical doctors to make that determination, not me."

Biden even remembered an issue Grassley was fighting for in the Senate 25 years ago during the meeting.

"If he had a memory of something I was talking about 25 years ago, you wonder why somebody would get the idea there's something wrong with him," Grassley said.

• Partisanship

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

Sen. Chuck Grassley reads from his pocket version of the U.S. Constitution during a town hall meeting May 31 at the Primghar Community Building.

Grassley also addressed concerns about the growing partisan divide in Washington. He said that media reports often exaggerate conflict, as disagreement is what draws attention.

"If you think Republicans never talk to Democrats, at least in the Senate, that is not right," he said. "There are some Democrats I get along with a lot better than some Republicans."

Grassley noted his work on criminal justice reform with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, as an example of bipartisan success.

"We always talk about how we can get things done," he said. "It doesn't mean they get done, but we're talking about how we can get things done."

Grassley, 88, won his primary race against state Sen. Jim Carlin on Tuesday. He will face Democratic challenger Mike Franken in the November general election.

If he wins, Grassley will secure his eighth term in the Senate.