Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, 92, publicly eulogized his family's vacuum cleaner on social media Saturday after electrical damage ended its remarkable half-century of service, and the tributes from fellow lawmakers poured in.
Grassley posted a photo on X showing the Hoover vacuum and its charred electrical cord, announcing the end of an era in his household. "U willl see Beth no more," the Iowa Republican wrote.
The vacuum, affectionately named "Beth" after a former Senate staffer, had been cleaning floors for nearly 50 years, 15 of those in Grassley's mother-in-law's home, followed by 34 years in his own. Electrical sparks finally burned through the cord, and Grassley declared the machine unsafe to run.
In a follow-up post, Grassley called it a "sad day at Grassley household" and laid out Beth's full service record. His farewell message captured the senator's trademark plainspoken style:
"See black that's from electrical sparks. It's not safe to use anymore. GOOD BYE BETH. U hv been a real workhorse. Ur namesake still is hard worker. I will miss u."
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina offered his sympathies. "Sorry for your loss," Scott wrote on X. "They don't build them like they used to." Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who had cheered Beth on during an earlier appearance, was among those who had long followed the vacuum's career.
Even across the aisle, the loss registered. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, responded to Grassley's farewell with a GIF of Luke Skywalker screaming "No!", no words necessary.
Grassley's communications director, Clare Slattery, played her part with dry wit, posting on X and asking the public to "please respect Team Grassley's privacy during this difficult time." The Senate has faced its share of genuine health scares among its senior members in recent years, which made Slattery's deadpan request land all the better.
The Hoover had been a fixture of Grassley's social media presence for years. Back in 2022, the senator acknowledged Beth was "too old to get repairs" but predicted she still had life left in her.
"With a little care I expect Beth to clean Grassley home for a few more years."
She did. By Thanksgiving 2023, Grassley posted a video of himself running Beth across the floors of the family farm, getting the place ready for the holiday. That clip pulled in 1.4 million views on X, numbers most political messaging accounts would envy.
Grassley's caption on the Thanksgiving video read like a love letter to dependability: "Beth + I are ready & working hard to prepare for Grassley family thxgiving at the farm She never lets me down & im grateful I can count on OLD FAITHFUL." Capito responded at the time: "We can ALWAYS count on Beth!"
The whole saga, a 92-year-old senator eulogizing a vacuum cleaner in his signature shorthand, colleagues from both parties sending condolences, a communications director requesting privacy as if announcing a state funeral, is the kind of moment that briefly cuts through the usual partisan noise. Grassley's long tenure in a chamber that has seen real loss and real emergencies lately made the lighthearted farewell a welcome change of pace.
There is something to be said for a man who keeps a vacuum running for 49 years, names it, thanks it publicly, and means every word. In a town where most things are disposable, promises, alliances, principles, Chuck Grassley held onto his Hoover until the cord caught fire.
Washington could use more of that instinct.
