In an interview Thursday, Graham said Grassley asked to come back after his tenure on the Senate Finance Committee. Graham responded “absolutely.”

“Love Chuck Grassley. That’s the way the Senate works,” Graham said. “He took the Finance Committee so I could be chairman, and he’ll come back and fill out his time, and I’ll come back, and somebody else will come along.”

Senate Republicans allow their members to chair a committee for six years in total, regularly leading to rounds of musical chairs as senators face committee term limits.

Grassley has more seniority on the Judiciary Committee than Graham. Graham added that the Iowa Republican is “a very special friend” who has two more years in which he could be chairman of the Judiciary Committee.