Order Code RS22555
Updated September 3, 2008
Membership of the 110th Congress: A Profile
Mildred Amer
Specialist in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
This report presents a profile of the membership of the 110th Congress. Statistical
information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party
affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, female
and minority Members, foreign-born Members, and military service.
Currently, in the House of Representatives, there are 239 Democrats (including four
Delegates) and 200 Republicans (including the Resident Commissioner). The Senate
has 49 Democrats; two Independents, who have aligned themselves with the Democrats;
and 49 Republicans.
The average age of Members of both houses at the convening of the 110th Congress
was 57.0 years; of Representatives, 55.9 years; and of Senators, 61.7 years. The
overwhelming majority of Members have a college education. The dominant
professions of Members are public service/politics, business, and law. Protestants
collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation of Members. Roman Catholics
account for the largest single religious denomination, and numerous other affiliations
are represented.
The average length of service in the House at the beginning of the Congress was
about 10 years (5.1 terms); in the Senate, 12.8 years (slightly over two terms).
A record number of 90 women serve in the 110th Congress: 74 in the House, 16 in
the Senate. There are 41 African American Members in the House, including two
Delegates, and one African American Senator. There are 30 Hispanic or Latino
Members serving: 26 in the House, including the Resident Commissioner, and three in
the Senate. Eight Members (five Representatives, one Delegate, and two Senators) are
Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander. There is one American Indian (Native
American), who serves in the House.
This report will be revised at the commencement of the 111th Congress.

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The 110th Congress: A Profile1
Congress is composed of 540 individuals from the 50 states, as well as the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.2 This
count assumes that no seat is temporarily vacant.3 The following is a profile of the 110th
Congress.
Party Breakdown
In the 110th Congress, the current party breakdown in the House is 239 Democrats
(including four Delegates) and 200 Republicans (including the Resident Commissioner).
The Senate has 49 Democrats; two Independents, who have aligned themselves with the
Democrats; and 49 Republicans.
Age
The average age of Members of the 110th Congress is among the oldest of any
Congress in U.S. history.4 The average age of Senators at the beginning of the 110th
Congress was 61.7 years, two years older than the average age of Senators in the 109th
Congress.5 The average age of Representatives was 55.9 years, one year older than for
Members of the 109th Congress.6 The average age of both houses was 57.0 years.
The U.S. Constitution requires Representatives to be at least 25 years old when they
take office. The youngest Representative, as well as youngest Member of Congress, is
Patrick McHenry (R-NC), 32. The oldest Representative is Ralph Hall (R-TX), 85.
1 For background information on earlier Congresses, please refer to CRS Report RS22007,
Membership of the 109th Congress: A Profile, by Mildred Amer; CRS Report RS21379,
Membership of the 108th Congress: A Profile, by Mildred Amer; CRS Report RS20760,
Membership of the 107th Congress: A Profile, by Mildred Amer; CRS Report RL30378, African
American Members of the United States Congress: 1870-2008, by Mildred Amer; CRS Report
RL30261, Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2006, by Mildred Amer; and CRS Report
97-398, Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress, by Lorraine Tong.
2 This figure includes 100 Senators, 435 Representatives, four delegates (from the District of
Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), and one Resident
Commissioner (from Puerto Rico). Since 1789, 11,828 individuals (not including Delegates and
Resident Commissioners) have served in Congress: 9,931 only in the House, 1,251 only in the
Senate, and 646 in both houses.
3 Currently, there is one vacancy in the House and none in the Senate. For information on the
special elections held in the 110th Congress, refer to [http://www.crs.gov/reference/general/
legislative/110change.shtml], This site is updated when there is a death or resignation of a
Member of Congress.
4 Complete CRS records on the ages of Members of the House begin in 1907, the 60th Congress.
5 “110th Congress: Statistically Speaking,” CQ Today, vol. 42, no. 146, November 9, 2006, p. 76,
supplemented by CRS and staff at Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
6 Ibid.

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Senators must be at least 30 years old when they take office. The youngest Senator
is Senator John Sununu (R-NH), who is 43 and a former Member of the House. The
oldest Senator, as well as the oldest current Member of Congress, is Robert C. Byrd (D-
WV), 90.
Occupations7
According to CQ Today, in the 110th Congress, law is the dominant declared
profession of Senators, followed by public service/politics; for Representatives, public
service/politics is first, followed by business and law.8 A closer look at the prior
occupations of Members of the 110th Congress also shows:
! 13 medical doctors (including a psychiatrist), two dentists, three nurses,
two veterinarians, one psychologist, an optometrist, and one pharmacist;
! six ministers;
! 37 mayors, nine state governors, nine lieutenant governors (including two
Delegates), two state first ladies (one of whom was also the first lady of
the United States), and one territorial first lady;
! three former Cabinet secretaries, two former Secretaries of the Navy, a
vice admiral in the navy, a former Deputy Administrator in the
Department of Veterans’ Affairs, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State, a former Defense Department counter terrorism consultant, a
former ambassador, three state supreme court justices, and a federal
judge;
! 272 (233 in the House and 39 in the Senate) former state legislators;9
! at least 109 former congressional staffers (including 10 congressional
pages),10 16 White House former staffers or fellows, several former
executive branch employees, and a former parliamentary aide in the
British House of Commons;
! four sheriffs, a deputy sheriff, four police officers (including a Capitol
policeman), two state troopers, two probation officers, a volunteer
fireman, an FBI agent, and a former border patrol chief;
! three chemists, three physicists, a biomedical engineer, and a
microbiologist;
7 The professions described here are not necessarily the ones practiced by Members immediately
prior to entering Congress.
8 “110th Congress: Statistically Speaking,” p. 76. In the overwhelming majority of previous
Congresses, business has followed law as the dominant occupation of Members. At the beginning
of the 110th Congress, 215 Members (159 Representatives, 58 Senators) list their occupation as
law, 202 Members (172 Representatives, 31 Senators) list public service/politics, and 189
Members (162 Representatives, 26 Senators) list business. Eighty-two Representatives and 14
Senators list education as a profession. Members often list more than one profession when
surveyed by Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
9 National Conference of State Legislators, “Former State Legislators in the 110th Congress,”
internal report made available to CRS.
10 Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider, Congressional Deskbook, 5th ed. (Washington:
TheCapital.Net, 2007), pp. 206-209.

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! six Peace Corps volunteers;
! two radio talk show hosts, a radio broadcaster, a radio newscaster, a
television talk show host, and a television commentator;
! five accountants;
! a corporate pilot, and an astronaut;
! three professional musicians, a semi-professional musician, a
screenwriter, a documentary film maker, a major league baseball player,
a major league football player; and
! three carpenters, two vintners, two bank tellers, a furniture salesman, an
organic farmer, a ski instructor, an ironworker, an auto worker, a clothing
factory worker, a mortician, a waitress, a teamster member/dairy worker,
a paper mill worker, a cement plant worker, a meat cutter, a cannery
worker, a shellfish specialist, a river boat captain, a taxicab driver, an
auctioneer, a toll booth collector, a hotel clerk, a hotel bellhop, and a fruit
orchard worker.
Education
As has been true in previous Congresses, most Members of the 110th Congress hold
university degrees.11 CRS research indicates 401 Members of the House and 97 Senators
hold bachelor’s degrees; 123 Members of the House and 19 Senators have master’s
degrees; 179 Members of the House and 57 Senators hold law degrees; 22 Members of
the House have doctoral (Ph.D) degrees; and 13 Members of the House and four Senators
hold medical degrees.12
In addition, there are four graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, three in the
House and one in the Senate; two Senators are graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy; and
one Representative (a woman) is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Three
Representatives and three Senators were Rhodes Scholars, three Representatives were
Fulbright Scholars, and one was a Marshall Scholar.
Congressional Service
The average length of service of Members of the House was approximately 10 years
(5.1 terms) at the beginning of the present Congress. Representatives are elected for
two-year terms. Representative John Dingell (D-MI), the dean of the House, has the
longest consecutive service of any Member of the 110th Congress (52 years). He began
serving on December 13, 1955.
The average length of service of Members of the Senate at the beginning of the
present Congress was 12.8 years (approximately two terms). Senators are elected for
six-year terms. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), the President Pro Tem of the Senate,
11 “110th Congress: Statistically Speaking,” p. 76, supplemented by CRS.
12 Ten Representatives, two Senators, and one Delegate have an M.D. degree; two
Representatives have a D.D.S. (doctor of dental surgery) degree; and two Senators have a D.V.M.
(doctor of veterinary medicine) degree. One Representative has an O.D. (doctor of optometry)
degree, but is not included in the count of those with medical degrees.

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has served longer (48 years) than any other Senator in history.13 His service began on
January 3, 1959. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) is the current Republican Senator with the
longest Senate service (39 years). He has been a Member of the Senate since December
24, 1968.14
Religion15
Most Members of the 110th Congress cite a specific religious affiliation. Protestants
(Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and others) collectively constitute the
majority religious affiliation of Members. Roman Catholics, however, account for the
largest single religious denomination. Other affiliations include Greek Orthodox, Jewish,
Christian Scientist, Quaker, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
(Mormon). There are also two Buddhists and two Muslims in the House. This is the first
time that members of these faiths have served in Congress.
Female and Minority Members
Female Members. Ninety women serve in the 110th Congress.16 Seventy-four
serve in the House and 16 in the Senate. Of the 74 women in the House, 54 are
Democrats, including three Delegates, and 20 are Republicans. Of women serving in the
Senate, 11 are Democrats and five are Republicans.
African American Members. There are 42 African American Members in the
110th Congress. Forty-one serve in the House, one in the Senate.17 All are Democrats,
including two Delegates. Thirteen African American women, including two Delegates,
13 Note that 49 Senators in the 110th Congress have previously served in the House.
14 For additional information, see CRS Report RL32648, Average Years of Service for Members
of the Senate and House of Representatives, First - 110th Congress, by Mildred Amer.
15 Congressional Quarterly, Inc., “Religions in the 110th,” CQ Today, vol. 42, no. 146, November
9, 2006, p. 77.
16 Ninety-four women have thus far served at some point in the 110th Congress; 78 in the House,
16 in the Senate. However, only 91 have served at any one time. Rep. Juanita Millender-
McDonald (D-CA), who died on April 22, 2007, was replaced by Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
on September 4, 2007; Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA), who died on October 6, 2007, was replaced
by Rep. Rob Wittman (D-VA) on December 13, 2007; Rep. Rep. Martin Meehan (D-MA), who
resigned on July 1, 2007, was replaced by Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) on October 18, 2007; Rep.
Julia Carson (D-IN) died on December 15, 2007, and was replaced by her grandson Rep. André
Carson, on March 13, 2008; Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) died on February 11, 2008, and was
replaced by Rep. Jackie Speier on April 10, 2008; and Rep Albert Wynn (D-MD) who resigned
on May 31, 2008, was replaced by Rep. Donna Edwards on June 19, 2008. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs
Jones (D-OH) died on August 20, 2008, and has not been replaced.
17 Forty-six different African American Members have served in the 110th Congress (45 in the
House, one in the Senate). However, only 43 have served at any one time. Rep. Juanita
Millender-McDonald (D-CA) died on April 22, 2007, and was replaced by Rep. Laura
Richardson (D-CA); Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN) died on December 15, 2007, and was replaced by
her grandson, Rep. André Carson, on March 13, 2008; and Rep Albert Wynn (D-MD) resigned
on May 31, 2008, and was replaced by Rep. Donna Edwards on June 19, 2008. Rep. Stephanie
Tubbs Jones (D-OH) died on August 20, 2008, and has not been replaced.

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serve in the House. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is the first African American male
Democrat to serve in the Senate.
Hispanic Members. There are 30 Hispanic or Latino Members of the 110th
Congress, the same number as in the 109th Congress, which had the largest number of
Hispanic Members in a single Congress.18 Twenty-seven serve in the House and three in
the Senate. Of the Members of the House, 22 are Democrats, five are Republicans
(including the Resident Commissioner), and seven are women. The Hispanic Senators
include two Democrats and one Republican. All are male.
Two sets of Hispanic Members are brothers, and one set are sisters. Mario and
Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Republicans from Florida, serve in the House. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
serves in the Senate, and his brother, John Salazar (D-CO), serves in the House. Linda
and Loretta Sanchez, Democrats from California, serve in the House.19
Asian Pacific Americans. Eight Members are of Asian or Native Hawaiian/other
Pacific Islander heritage. All are Democrats. Five serve in the House; two in the Senate.
Of those serving in the House, one is a Delegate and one is a black Member with Filipino
heritage.
American Indians. There is one American Indian (Native American) Member of
the 110th Congress, who is a Republican Member of the House.
Foreign Born20
Ten Representatives and one Senator were born outside the United States. Their
places of birth include Cuba, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, Pakistan, Canada, and the
Netherlands.
Military Service
According to the Military Officers Association of America, 127 Members of the
110th Congress have served in the military.21 The House has 99; the Senate 28. They have
served in World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf (1990-1991), Iraq
(2003-present), and Kosovo, as well as during times of peace. Some have served in the
Reserves and the National Guard. Several Members are still serving as Reservists. As
noted above, two Senators are former Secretaries of the Navy.
The number of veterans in the 110th Congress reflects the trend of a steady decline
in the number of Members who have served in the military. For example, 390 veterans
served in the 93rd Congress (1973-1975); and 236 served in the 103rd (1993-1995).
18 This number includes three Members of the House who are of Portuguese decent and belong
to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
19 Note that brothers Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) also serve in the
110th Congress as well as Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and his son Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-
RI).
20 “Born Abroad,” CQ Today, July 1, 2005, p.10, supplemented by CRS.
21 Military Officers Association of America, unpublished data supplemented by CRS.

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