Members Who Have Served in the U.S. Congress for 30 Years or More

July 7, 2008 – February 10, 2009 RL34581

This report identifies the 240 Members of Congress who have served in Congress for at least 30 years, as of February 11, 2009. Those 240 Members are only 2% of the 11,893 individuals who have represented their states and congressional districts in Congress since 1789.

Of the 240 Members with at least 30 years of congressional service, 139 have spent all of their congressional careers in the House; 29 have spent all of their careers in the Senate; and 72 have had combined service in the House and Senate. Among Members of the 111th Congress, 16 Senators and 18 Representatives have served 30 years or more.

This report supercedes CRS Report RL30370, by Mildred Amer, Specialist in American National Government. This report will not be updated.

Members Who Have Served in the U.S. Congress for 30 Years or More

February 10, 2009 (RL34581)

Summary

This report identifies the 240 Members of Congress who have served in Congress for at least 30 years, as of February 11, 2009. Those 240 Members are only 2% of the 11,893 individuals who have represented their states and congressional districts in Congress since 1789.

Of the 240 Members with at least 30 years of congressional service, 139 have spent all of their congressional careers in the House; 29 have spent all of their careers in the Senate; and 72 have had combined service in the House and Senate. Among Members of the 111th Congress, 16 Senators and 18 Representatives have served 30 years or more.

This report supercedes CRS Report RL30370, by [author name scrubbed], Specialist in American National Government. This report will not be updated.

Members Who Have Served in the U.S. Congress for 30 Years or More

Introduction

As of February 11, 2009, a total of 240 persons have served for 30 years or more in the United States Congress as Representative or Senator.1 That number is only 2% of the 11,893 men and women who have represented their states and congressional districts since the First Congress convened on March 4, 1789. Of the 240 Members serving 30 years or more, 139 served only in the House of Representatives; 29 served only in the Senate; and 72 served in both chambers. Four of the 240 Members are women, three of whom have served in the House and Senate.

Over time, the number of Members serving 30 years or more has grown. Only two Members with over 30 years of service began serving in Congress in the 18th century: Nathaniel Macon began his service in 1791; Samuel Smith, in 1793. Seven served entirely during the 19th century. By 1967 (90th Congress), a total of 100 Members had served 30 years or more.2 As of February 11, 2009, (111th Congress) that number had risen to 240. Among Members of the 111th Congress, 16 incumbent Senators and 18 incumbent Representatives have served 30 years or longer.

Table 1 lists Members who have served 30 years or longer in descending order of the length of their congressional service, as measured in days.3 For each Member, the table presents the Member's party and state represented; dates of the Member's first and last day of service, by chamber; days of service in each chamber; and total days of congressional service. Total service is also presented in years and fractions of years.4

Calculation Method

Calculations of days of service varied according to the pattern of a Member's service. For example—

  • Clarence A. Cannon of Missouri served in one continuous period from 3/4/1923 through 5/12/1964. The elapsed time from one date to the other was 15,045, but because Representative Cannon served for each of the elapsed days and on the first day, we add one day to the elapsed time for a total of 15,046 days.
  • Justin Morrill served in both the House and the Senate, continuously from 3/4/1855 to 3/3/1867 in the House (4,383 days) and from 3/4/1867 to 12/28/1898 in the Senate (11,623 days). Morrill's total congressional service was the sum of those two periods, 16,006 days.
  • Henry Jackson of Washington also served continuously in both the House and the Senate, but because of a statutory change there is an overlap of one day in his official dates of service. Jackson served in the House from 1/3/1941 through 1/3/1953, but his first day in the Senate was also on 1/3/1953. If we simply added his House service (4,384 days) and his Senate service (11,199 days), we would double-count 1/3/1953; so we add the days of service in each chamber (15,583 days) and subtract one day from that sum for Jackson's total days of congressional service (15,582 days). Alternately, we could simply count the days from when his House service started through the date of the day when his Senate service ended.
  • Samuel Smith served in the House, then in the Senate, then again in the House, and then once again in the Senate. His first period of service (in the House) did not overlap with the second (in the Senate). There was a break between his first period of Senate service and his second period of House service, but there is an overlapping day (12/17/1822) when he moved finally from the House again to the Senate. Accordingly, we add the days of each period of service and subtract one day from the sum for a total of 14,276 days of congressional service.

Sources

Table 1 draws the dates of congressional service from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present;5 the "Table of United States Senators" in U.S. Congress, Senate, Senate Manual, S. Doc. 104-1; and various editions of the Congressional Directory (Washington: GPO). When a date in the Biographical Directory was unclear, CRS consulted other sources for clarification, as shown in notes to Table 1.

Table 1. Members of Congress Who Have Served 30 Years or More

As of February 11, 2009

 

  

Period of Congressional Service

  

  

Member Name

Ranka

Partyb

State

Chamber

First Day

Last Day

Days

Total
Days

Yearsc

Hayden, Carl T.

1

D

AZ

House

2/19/1912

3/3/1927

5,492

20,774

56.88

 

  

D

AZ

Senate

3/4/1927

1/3/1969

15,282

  

  

Byrd, Robert C.

2

D

WV

House

1/3/1953

1/3/1959

2,192

20,494

56.11

 

  

D

WV

Senate

1/3/1959

  

18,303

  

  

Dingell, John Jr.

3

D

MI

House

12/13/1955

  

19,420

19,420

53.17

Whitten, Jamie L.

4

D

MS

House

11/4/1941

1/3/1995

19,419

19,419

53.17
 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Vinson, Carl

5

D

GA

House

11/3/1914

1/3/1965

18,325

18,325

50.17

Celler, Emanuel

6

D

NY

House

3/4/1923

1/3/1973

18,204

18,204

49.84

Inouye, Daniel

7

D

HI

House

8/21/1959

1/3/1963

1,232

18,073

49.48

 

  

D

HI

Senate

1/3/1963

  

16, 842

  

  

Rayburn, Sam T.

8

D

TX

House

3/4/1913

11/16/1961

17,790

17,790

48.71

Yates, Sidney

9

D

IL

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1963

5,114

17,533

48.00

 

  

D

IL

House

1/3/1965

1/3/1999

12,419

  

  

Thurmond, Strom

10

D

SC

Senate

12/24/1954

4/4/1956

468

17,327

47.44

 

  

D

SC

Senate

11/7/1956

9/16/1964

2,871

  

  

 

  

R

SC

Senate

9/16/1964

1/3/2003

13,989

  

  

Patman, Wright

11

D

TX

House

3/4/1929

3/7/1976

17,171

17,171

47.01

Kennedy, Edward M.

12

D

MA

Senate

11/7/1962

  

16,899

16,899

46.27

Cannon, Joseph G.

13

R

IL

House

3/4/1873

3/3/1891

6,574

16,800

46.00

 

  

R

IL

House

3/4/1893

3/3/1913

7,304

  

  

 

  

R

IL

House

3/4/1915

3/3/1923

2,922

  

  

Sabath, Adolph J.

14

D

IL

House

3/4/1907

11/6/1952

16,685

16,685

45.68

Hill, J. Lister

15

D

AL

House

8/14/1923

1/11/1938

5,265

16,579

45.39

 

  

D

AL

Senate

1/11/1938

1/2/1969

11,315

  

  

Conyers, John Jr.

16

D

MI

House

1/3/1965

  

16,111

16,111

44.11

Bennett, Charles E.

17

D

FL

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1993

16,072

16,072

44.00

Magnuson, Warren G.

17

D

WA

House

1/3/1937

12/13/1944

2,902

16,072

44.00

 

  

D

WA

Senate

12/14/1944

1/3/1981

13,170

  

  

Mahon, George H.

17

D

TX

House

1/3/1935

1/3/1979

16,072

16,072

44.00

Morrill, Justin S.

20

R

VT

House

3/4/1855

3/3/1867

4,383

16,006

43.82

 

  

R

VT

Senate

3/4/1867

12/28/1898

11,623

  

  

Allison, William B.

21

R

IA

House

3/4/1863

3/3/1871

2,922

15,859

43.42
 

  

R

IA

Senate

3/4/1873

8/4/1908

12,937

  

  

Price, Melvin

22

D

IL

House

1/3/1945

4/22/1988

15,816

15,816

43.30

Jackson, Henry M.

23

D

WA

House

1/3/1941

1/3/1953

4,384

15,582

42.66

 

  

D

WA

Senate

1/3/1953

9/1/1983

11,199

  

  

Glass, Carter

24

D

VA

House

11/4/1902

12/16/1918

5,887

15,480

42.38

 

  

D

VA

Senate

2/2/1920

5/8/1946

9,593

  

  

McCormack, John W.

25

D

MA

House

11/6/1928

1/3/1971

15,399

15,399

42.16

Brooks, Jack

26

D

TX

House

1/3/1953

1/3/1995

15,341

15,341

42.00

Sparkman, John J.

26

D

AL

House

1/3/1937

11/5/1946

3,594

15,341

42.00

 

  

D

AL

Senate

11/6/1946

1/3/1979

11,747

  

  

Doughton, Robert L.

28

D

NC

House

3/4/1911

1/3/1953

15,282

15,282

41.84

Martin, Joseph W.

29

R

MA

House

3/4/1925

1/3/1967

15,281

15,281

41.84

Cannon, Clarence A.

30

D

MO

House

3/4/1923

5/12/1964

15,046

15,046

41.19

Stennis, John C.

31

D

MS

Senate

11/5/1947

1/3/1989

15,036

15,036

41.17

McKellar, Kenneth D.

32

D

TN

House

12/4/1911

3/3/1917

1,917

15,007

41.09

 

  

D

TN

Senate

3/4/1917

1/3/1953

13,090

  

  

Poage, W.R.

33

D

TX

House

1/3/1937

1/3/1978

14,976

14,976

41.00

Natcher, William

34

D

KY

House

8/1/1953

3/29/1994

14,851

14,851

40.66

Pepper, Claude

35

D

FL

Senate

11/4/1936

1/3/1951

5,174

14,819

40.57

 

  

D

FL

House

1/3/1963

5/30/1989

9,645

  

  

Frye, William P.

36

R

ME

House

3/4/1871

3/17/1881

3,667

14,767

40.43

 

  

R

ME

Senate

3/18/1881

8/8/1911

11,100

  

  

Stevens, Ted

37

R

AK

Senate

12/24/1968

1/3/2009

14,621

14,621

40.03

Curtis, Carl T.

38

R

NE

House

1/3/1939

12/31/1954

5,842

14,611

40.00

 

  

R

NE

Senate

1/1/1955

1/3/1979

8,769

  

  

Randolph, Jennings

38

D

WV

House

3/4/1933

1/3/1947

5,054

14,611

40.00

 

  

D

WV

Senate

11/5/1958

1/3/1985

9,557

  

  

Rodino, Peter W. Jr.

38

D

NJ

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1989

14,611

14,611

40.00

Hale, Eugene

41

R

ME

House

3/4/1869

3/3/1879

3,652

14,608

40.00

 

  

R

ME

Senate

3/4/1881

3/3/1911

10,956

  

  

Reed, Daniel A.

42

R

NY

House

3/4/1919

2/19/1959

14,598

14,598

39.97

Obey, David

43

D

WI

House

4/1/1969

  

14,562

14,562

39.87

Colmer, William M.

44

D

MS

House

3/4/1933

1/3/1973

14,551

14,551

39.84

Norris, George W.

44

R

NE

House

3/4/1903

3/3/1913

3,653

14,551

39.84

 

  

R

NE

Senate

3/4/1913

1/5/1937

10,898

  

  

 

  

I

NE

Senate

1/5/1937

1/3/1943

2,189

  

  

Taber, John

44

R

NY

House

3/4/1923

1/3/1963

14,551

14,551

39.84

Smith, Samuel

47

D

MD

House

3/4/1793

3/3/1803

3,651

14,276

39.09

 

  

D

MD

Senate

3/4/1803

3/3/1815

4,383

  

  

 

  

D

MD

House

1/31/1816

12/17/1822

2,513

  

  

 

  

D

MD

Senate

12/17/1822

3/3/1833

3,730

  

  

Arends, Leslie C.

48

R

IL

House

1/3/1935

1/3/1974

14,246

14,246

39.00

McClellan, John L.

49

D

AR

House

1/3/1935

1/3/1939

1,462

14,211

38.91

 

  

D

AR

Senate

1/3/1943

11/28/1977

12,749

  

  

Sheppard, Morris

50

D

TX

House

11/15/1902

2/3/1913

3,734

14,026

38.40

 

  

D

TX

Senate

2/3/1913

4/9/1941

10,293

  

  

Hollings, Ernest F.

51

D

SC

Senate

11/9/1966

1/3/2005

13,936

13,936

38.16

Rangel, Charles B.

52

D

NY

House

1/3/1971

  

13,920

13,920

38.11

Young, C. W. (Bill)

52

R

FL

House

1/3/1971

  

13,920

13,920

38.11

Russell, Richard B.

54

D

GA

Senate

1/12/1933

1/21/1971

13,889

13,889

38.03

Sherman, John

55

R

OH

House

3/4/1855

3/21/1861

2,210

13,886

38.02

 

  

R

OH

Senate

3/21/1861

3/8/1877

5,832

  

  

 

  

R

OH

Senate

3/4/1881

3/4/1897

5,845

  

  

Long, Russell B.

56

D

LA

Senate

12/31/1948

1/3/1987

13,883

13,883

38.01

Fascell, Dante B.

57

D

FL

House

1/3/1955

1/3/1993

13,881

13,881

38.00

Mills, Wilbur D.

57

D

AR

House

1/3/1939

1/3/1977

13,881

13,881

38.00

Michel, Robert

59

R

IL

House

1/3/1957

1/3/1995

13,880

13,880

38.00

Gillett, Frederick H.

60

R

MA

House

3/4/1893

3/3/1925

11,687

13,878

38.00

 

  

R

MA

Senate

3/4/1925

3/3/1931

2,191

  

  

Crosser, Robert

61

D

OH

House

3/4/1913

3/3/1919

2,191

13,820

37.84

 

  

D

OH

House

3/4/1923

1/3/1955

11,629

  

  

Sikes, Robert L.F.

62

D

FL

House

1/3/1941

10/19/1944

1,386

13,805

37.80

 

  

D

FL

House

1/3/1945

1/3/1979

12,419

  

  

Macon, Nathaniel

63

D

NC

House

3/4/1791

12/13/1815

9,050

13,770

37.70

 

  

D

NC

Senate

12/13/1815

11/14/1828

4,721

  

  

Lodge, Henry Cabot

64

R

MA

House

3/4/1887

3/3/1893

2,192

13,765

37.69

 

  

R

MA

Senate

3/4/1893

11/9/1924

11,573

  

  

Barkley, Alben W.

65

D

KY

House

3/4/1913

3/3/1927

5,113

13,590

37.21

 

  

D

KY

Senate

3/4/1927

1/19/1949

7,993

  

  

 

  

D

KY

Senate

1/3/1955

4/30/1956

484

  

  

Gonzalez, Henry B.

66

D

TX

House

11/4/1961

1/3/1999

13,575

13,575

37.17

Warren, Francis E.

67

R

WY

Senate

11/18/1890

3/4/1893

838

13,522

37.02

 

  

R

WY

Senate

3/4/1895

11/24/1929

12,684

  

  

Eastland, James O.

68

D

MS

Senate

6/30/1941

9/28/1941

91

13,234

36.23
 

  

D

MS

Senate

1/3/1943

12/27/1978

13,143

  

  

Cochran, Thad

69

R

MS

House

1/3/1973

12/26/1978

2,184

13,189

36.11

 

  

R

MS

Senate

12/27/1978

  

11,005

  

  

Stark, Fortney (Pete)

69

D

CA

House

1/3/1973

  

13,189

13,189

36.11

Biden, Joseph R.

71

D

DE

Senate

1/3/1973

1/15/2009

13, 162

13,162

36.04

Boland, Edward

72

D

MA

House

1/3/1953

1/3/1989

13,150

13,150

36.00

Broomfield, William

72

R

MI

House

1/3/1957

1/3/1993

13,150

13,150

36.00

Domenici, Pete V.

72

R

NM

Senate

1/3/1973

1/3/2009

13,150

13,150

36.00

Herbert, F. Edward

72

D

LA

House

1/3/1941

1/3/1977

13,150

13,150

36.00

McDade, Joseph

72

R

PA

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1999

13,150

13,150

36.00

Pell, Claiborne

72

D

RI

Senate

1/3/1961

1/3/1997

13,150

13,150

36.00

Regula, Ralph

72

R

OH

House

1/3/1973

1/3/2009

13,150

13,150

36.00

Rostenkowski, Dan

72

D

IL

House

1/3/1959

1/3/1995

13,150

13,150

36.00

Sarbanes, Paul S.

72

D

MD

House

1/3/1971

1/3/1977

2,193

13,150

36.00
 

  

D

MD

Senate

1/3/1977

1/3/2007

10,958

  

  

Smith, Neal

72

R

IA

House

1/3/1959

1/3/1995

13,150

13,150

36.00

Dawes, Henry L.

82

R

MA

House

3/4/1857

3/3/1875

6,574

13,149

36.00

 

  

R

MA

Senate

3/4/1875

3/3/1893

6,575

  

  

Cullom, Shelby M.

83

R

IL

House

3/4/1865

3/3/1871

2,191

13,148

36.00

 

  

R

IL

Senate

3/4/1883

3/3/1913

10,957

  

  

Cooper, Henry A.

84

R

WI

House

3/4/1893

3/3/1919

9,495

13,145

35.99

 

  

R

WI

House

3/4/1921

3/1/1931

3,650

  

  

Young, Don

85

R

AK

House

3/6/1973

  

13,127

13,127

35.94

Connally, Thomas T.

86

D

TX

House

3/4/1917

3/3/1929

4,383

13,090

35.84

 

  

D

TX

Senate

3/4/1929

1/3/1953

8,707

  

  

Smith, Howard W.

86

D

VA

House

3/4/1931

1/3/1967

13,090

13,090

35.84

Young, Milton

88

R

ND

Senate

3/12/1945

1/3/1981

13,082

13,082

35.82

Smith, Ellison D.

89

D

SC

Senate

3/4/1909

11/17/1944

13,043

13,043

35.71

Perkins, Carl D.

90

D

KY

House

1/3/1949

8/3/1984

12,997

12,997

35.58

Hoar, George F.

91

R

MA

House

3/4/1869

3/3/1877

2,922

12,994

35.58

 

  

R

MA

Senate

3/4/1877

9/30/1904

10,072

  

  

Ellender, Allen J.

92

D

LA

Senate

1/3/1937

7/27/1972

12,990

12,990

35.57

Swanson, Claude A.

93

D

VA

House

3/4/1893

1/30/1906

4,715

12,966

35.50

 

  

D

VA

Senate

8/1/1910

3/3/1933

8,251

  

  

Dole, Robert J.

94

R

KS

House

1/3/1961

1/3/1969

2,923

12,944

35.44

 

  

R

KS

Senate

1/3/1969

6/11/1996

10,022

  

  

Rogers, Edith N.

95

R

MA

House

6/30/1925

9/10/1960

12,857

12,857

35.20

Crane, Phillip

96

R

IL

House

11/25/1969

1/3/2005

12,824

12,824

35.11

Murtha, John

97

D

PA

House

2/5/1974

  

12,791

12,791

35.02

Lott, Trent

98

R

MS

House

1/3/1973

1/3/1989

5,845

12,768

34.96

 

  

R

MS

Senate

1/3/1989

12/18/2007

6,924

  

  

Zablocki, Clement J.

99

D

WI

House

1/3/1949

12/3/1983

12,753

12,753

34.92

Brown, George E. Jr.

100

D

CA

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1971

2,923

12,613

34.53

 

  

D

CA

House

1/3/1973

7/15/1999

9,690

  

  

Dirksen, Everett M.

101

R

IL

House

3/4/1933

1/3/1949

5,785

12,608

34.52

 

  

R

IL

Senate

1/3/1951

9/7/1969

6,823

  

  

Wright, James C.

102

D

TX

House

1/3/1955

6/30/1989

12,598

12,598

34.49

King, William R.

103

n.a.

NC

House

3/4/1811

11/4/1816

2,073

12,597

34.49

 

  

DR

AL

Senate

12/14/1819

4/15/1844

8,890

  

  

 

  

DR,J

AL

Senate

7/1/1848

12/20/1852

1,634

  

  

Neely, Matthew M.

104

D

WV

House

10/14/1913

3/3/1921

2,698

12,527

34.30

 

  

D

WV

Senate

3/4/1923

3/3/1929

2,192

  

  

 

  

D

WV

Senate

3/4/1931

1/12/1941

3,603

  

  

 

  

D

WV

House

1/3/1945

1/3/1947

731

  

  

 

  

D

WV

Senate

1/3/1949

1/18/1958

3,303

  

  

Robinson, Joseph T.

105

D

AR

House

3/4/1903

1/14/1913

3,605

12,504

34.23

 

  

D

AR

Senate

3/4/1913

7/14/1937

8,899

  

  

Nelson, Knute

106

R

MN

House

3/4/1883

3/3/1889

2,192

12,474

34.15

 

  

R

MN

Senate

3/4/1895

4/28/1923

10,282

  

  

George, Walter F.

107

D

GA

Senate

11/22/1922

1/2/1957

12,461

12,461

34.12

Baucus, Max S.

108

D

MT

House

1/3/1975

12/14/1978

1,442

12,459

34.11

 

  

D

MT

Senate

12/15/1978

  

11,017

  

  

Dodd, Christopher J.

108

D

CT

House

1/3/1975

1/3/1981

2,193

12,459

34.11

 

  

D

CT

Senate

1/3/1981

  

10,267

  

  

Grassley, Charles E.

108

R

IA

House

1/3/1975

1/3/1981

2,193

12,459

34.11

 

  

R

IA

Senate

1/3/1981

  

10,267

  

  

Harkin, Thomas R.

108

R

IA

House

1/3/1975

1/3/1985

3,654

12,459

34.11

 

  

R

IA

Senate

1/3/1985

  

8,806

  

  

Leahy, Patrick J.

108

D

VT

Senate

1/3/1975

  

12,459

12,459

34.11

Miller, George

108

D

CA

House

1/3/1975

  

12,459

12,459

34.11

Oberstar, James L.

108

D

MN

House

1/3/1975

  

12,459

12,459

34.11

Waxman, Henry A.

108

D

CA

House

1/3/1975

  

12,459

12,459

34.11

Reece, Brazilla C.

116

R

TN

House

3/4/1921

3/3/1931

3,652

12,435

34.05

 

  

R

TN

House

3/4/1933

1/3/1947

5,054

  

  

 

  

R

TN

House

1/3/1951

3/19/1961

3,729

  

  

Scott, Hugh D. Jr.

117

R

PA

House

1/3/1941

1/3/1945

1,462

12,421

34.01

 

  

R

PA

House

1/3/1947

1/3/1959

4,384

  

  

 

  

R

PA

Senate

1/3/1959

1/3/1977

6,576

  

  

Gibbons, Sam M.

118

D

FL

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1997

12,420

12,420

34.00

McMillan, John L.

118

D

SC

House

1/3/1939

1/3/1973

12,420

12,420

34.00

Madden, Ray J.

118

D

IN

House

1/3/1943

1/3/1977

12,420

12,420

34.00

Mansfield, Michael J.

118

D

MT

House

1/3/1943

1/3/1953

3,654

12,420

34.00

 

  

D

MT

Senate

1/3/1953

1/3/1977

8,767

  

  

Mundt, Karl E.

118

R

SD

House

1/3/1939

12/30/1948

3,650

12,420

34.00

 

  

R

SD

Senate

12/31/1948

1/3/1973

8,770

  

  

Quillen, James

118

R

TN

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1997

12,420

12,420

34.00

Bolling, Richard

124

D

MO

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1983

12,419

12,419

34.00

Hamilton, Lee

124

D

IN

House

1/3/1965

1/3/1999

12,419

12,419

34.00

O'Neill, Thomas P. Jr.

124

D

MA

House

1/3/1953

1/3/1987

12,419

12,419

34.00

Roth, William V.

124

R

DE

House

1/3/1967

12/31/1970

1,459

12,419

34.00

 

  

R

DE

Senate

1/1/1971

1/3/2001

10,961

  

  

Curtis, Charles

128

R

KS

House

3/4/1983

1/28/1907

5,078

12,418

34.00

 

  

R

KS

Senate

1/29/1907

3/3/1913

2,226

  

  

 

  

R

KS

Senate

3/4/1915

3/3/1929

5,114

  

  

Haugen, Gilbert N.

128

R

IA

House

3/4/1899

3/3/1933

12,418

12,418

34.00

Aiken, George D.

130

R

VT

Senate

1/10/1941

1/3/1975

12,412

12,412

33.98

Halleck, Charles A.

131

R

IN

House

1/29/1935

1/3/1969

12,394

12,394

33.93

Jenkins, Thomas A.

132

R

OH

House

3/4/1925

1/3/1959

12,359

12,359

33.84

Sumners, Hatton W.

132

D

TX

House

3/4/1913

1/3/1947

12,359

12,359

33.84

Woodruff, Roy O.

132

R

MI

House

3/4/1913

3/3/1915

730

12,359

33.84

 

  

R

MI

House

3/4/1921

1/3/1953

11,629

  

  

Robertson, A. Willis

135

D

VA

House

3/4/1933

11/5/1946

4,995

12,355

33.83

 

  

D

VA

Senate

11/6/1946

12/30/1966

7,360

  

  

Jones, Wesley L.

136

R

WA

House

3/4/1899

3/3/1909

3,652

12,314

33.71

 

  

R

WA

Senate

3/4/1909

11/19/1932

8,662

  

  

Burdick, Quentin

137

D

ND

House

1/3/1959

8/8/1960

584

12,303

33.68

 

  

D

ND

Senate

8/8/1960

9/8/1992

11,720

  

  

Ketcham, John H.

138

D

NY

House

3/4/1865

3/3/1873

2,922

12,298

33.67

 

  

R

NY

House

3/4/1877

3/3/1893

5,844

  

  

 

  

R

NY

House

3/4/1897

11/4/1906

3,532

  

  

Kirwan, Michael J.

139

D

OH

House

1/3/1937

7/27/1970

12,259

12,259

33.56

Pou, Edward W.

140

D

NC

House

3/4/1901

4/1/1934

12,082

12,082

33.08

Bingham, Henry H.

141

R

PA

House

3/4/1879

3/22/1912

12,072

12,072

33.05

Borah, William E.

142

R

ID

Senate

3/4/1907

1/19/1940

12,010

12,010

32.88

Bankhead, John H.

143

D

AL

House

3/4/1887

3/3/1907

7,304

11,945

32.70

 

  

D

AL

Senate

6/18/1907

3/1/1920

4,641

  

  

Byrd, Harry F. Sr.

144

D

VA

Senate

3/4/1933

11/10/1965

11,940

11,940

32.69

Case, Clifford P.

145

R

NJ

House

1/3/1945

8/16/1953

3,148

11,915

32.62
 

  

R

NJ

Senate

1/3/1955

1/3/1979

8,767

  

  

Smith, Margaret Chase

146

R

ME

House

6/3/1940

1/3/1949

3,137

11,903

32.59

 

  

R

ME

Senate

1/3/1949

1/3/1973

8,767

  

  

Taylor, Edward T.

147

D

CO

House

3/4/1909

9/3/1941

11,872

11,872

32.50

Cooley, Harold D.

148

D

NC

House

7/7/1934

12/30/1966

11,865

11,865

32.49

Teague, Olin E.

149

D

TX

House

8/24/1946

12/31/1978

11,818

11,818

32.36

Markey, Edward J.

150

D

MA

House

11/2/1976

  

11,790

11,790

32.28

Breaux, John

151

D

LA

House

9/30/1972

1/3/1987

5,209

11,784

32.26

 

  

D

LA

Senate

1/3/1987

1/3/2005

6,576

  

  

Burrows, Julius C.

152

R

MI

House

3/4/1873

3/3/1875

730

11,747

32.16

 

  

R

MI

House

3/4/1879

3/3/1883

1,461

  

  

 

  

R

MI

House

3/4/1885

1/23/1895

3,613

  

  

 

  

R

MI

Senate

1/24/1895

5/3/1911

5,943

  

  

Akaka, Daniel K.

153

D

HI

House

1/3/1977

5/15/1990

4,881

11,728

32.11

 

  

D

HI

Senate

5/16/1990

  

6,847

  

  

Dicks, Norman D.

153

D

WA

House

1/3/1977

  

11,728

11,728

32.11

Hatch, Orrin G.

153

R

UT

Senate

1/3/1977

  

11,728

11,728

32.11

Kildee, Dale E.

153

D

MI

House

1/3/1977

  

11,728

11,728

32.11

Lugar, Richard G.

153

R

IN

Senate

1/3/1977

  

11,728

11,728

32.11

Mikulski, Barbara A.

153

D

MD

House

1/3/1977

1/3/1987

3,653

11,728

32.11

 

  

D

MD

Senate

1/3/1987

  

8,076

  

  

Rahall, Nick J.

153

D

WV

House

1/3/1977

  

11,728

11,728

32.11

Skelton, Ike

153

D

MO

House

1/3/1977

  

11,728

11,728

32.11

Conte, Silvio

161

R

MA

House

1/3/1959

2/8/1991

11,725

11,725

32.10

Clay, William

162

D

MO

House

1/3/1969

1/3/2001

11,689

11,689

32.00

de la Garza, E. (Kika)

162

D

TX

House

1/3/1965

1/3/1997

11,689

11,689

32.00

Edwards, Don

162

D

CA

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1995

11,689

11,689

32.00

Hyde, Henry J.

162

R

IL

House

1/3/1975

1/3/2007

11,689

11,689

32.00

Jeffords, James M.

162

R

VT

House

1/3/1975

1/3/1989

5,115

11,689

32.00

 

  

R

VT

Senate

1/3/1989

6/6/2001

4,538

  

  

 

  

I

VT

Senate

6/6/2001

1/3/2007

2,038

  

  

Kastenmeier, Robert

162

D

WI

House

1/3/1959

1/3/1991

11,689

11,689

32.00

Morgan, Thomas E.

162

D

PA

House

1/3/1945

1/3/1977

11,689

11,689

32.00

Staggers, H.O. Sr.

162

D

WV

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1981

11,689

11,689

32.00

Steed, Tom

162

D

OK

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1981

11,689

11,689

32.00

Simmons, Furnifold M.

171

D

NC

House

3/4/1887

3/3/1889

731

11,688

32.00

 

  

D

NC

Senate

3/4/1901

3/3/1931

10,957

  

  

Aldrich, Nelson W.

172

R

RI

House

3/4/1879

10/4/1881

946

11,687

32.00

 

  

R

RI

Senate

10/5/1881

3/3/1911

10,741

  

  

Burleson, Omar

173

D

TX

House

1/3/1947

12/31/1978

11,686

11,686

32.00

Delaney, James J.

173

D

NY

House

1/3/1945

1/3/1947

731

11,686

32.00

 

  

D

NY

House

1/3/1949

12/31/1978

10,955

  

  

Fisher, O. C.

173

D

TX

House

1/3/1943

12/31/1974

11,686

11,686

32.00

Fulbright, J. William

173

D

AR

House

1/3/1943

1/3/1945

732

11,686

32.00

 

  

D

AR

Senate

1/3/1945

12/31/1974

10,955

  

  

Holifield, Chet E.

173

D

CA

House

1/3/1943

12/31/1974

11,686

11,686

32.00

Javits, Jacob

178

R

NY

House

1/3/1947

12/31/1954

2,920

11,681

31.98

 

  

R

NY

Senate

1/9/1957

1/3/1981

8,761

  

  

Gore, Albert A. Sr.

179

D

TN

House

1/3/1939

12/4/1944

2,163

11,660

31.92

 

  

D

TN

House

1/3/1945

1/3/1953

2,923

  

  

 

  

D

TN

Senate

1/3/1953

1/3/1971

6,575

  

  

Knutson, Harold K

180

R

MN

House

3/4/1917

1/3/1949

11,629

11,629

31.84

Lea, Clarence F.

180

D

CA

House

3/4/1917

1/3/1949

11,629

11,629

31.84

Rankin, John E.

180

D

MS

House

3/4/1921

1/3/1953

11,629

11,629

31.84

Spence, Brent

180

D

KY

House

3/4/1931

1/3/1963

11,629

11,629

31.84

Treadway, Allen T.

180

R

MA

House

3/4/1913

1/3/1945

11,629

11,629

31.84

White, Wallace H.

180

R

ME

House

3/4/1917

3/3/1931

5,113

11,629

31.84

 

  

R

ME

Senate

3/4/1931

1/3/1949

6,516

  

  

Wolverton, Charles

180

R

NJ

House

3/4/1927

1/3/1959

11,629

11,629

31.84

Bland, Schuyler O.

187

D

VA

House

7/2/1918

2/16/1950

11,553

11,553

31.63

Benton, Thomas H.

188

DR

MO

Senate

8/10/1821

3/3/1851

10,798

11,528

31.56

 

  

D

MO

House

3/4/1853

3/3/1855

730

  

  

Ransdell, Joseph E.

189

D

LA

House

8/29/1899

3/3/1913

4,935

11,509

31.51

 

  

D

LA

Senate

3/4/1913

3/3/1931

6,574

  

  

Gallinger, Jacob H.

190

R

NH

House

3/4/1885

3/3/1889

1,461

11,489

31.46

 

  

R

NH

Senate

3/4/1891

8/17/1918

10,028

  

  

Proxmire, William

191

D

WI

Senate

8/28/1957

1/3/1989

11,452

11,452

31.35

Underwood, Oscar

192

D

AL

House

3/4/1895

6/9/1896

464

11,420

31.27

 

  

D

AL

House

3/4/1897

3/3/1915

6,573

  

  

 

  

D

AL

Senate

3/4/1915

3/3/1927

4,383

  

  

Butler, Thomas S.

193

R

PA

House

3/4/1897

5/26/1928

11,406

11,406

31.23

Flood, Daniel J.

194

D

PA

House

1/3/1945

1/3/1947

731

11,353

31.08

 

  

D

PA

House

1/3/1949

1/3/1953

1,462

  

  

 

  

D

PA

House

1/3/1955

1/31/1980

9,160

  

  

Pickle, J. J.

195

D

TX

House

12/21/1963

1/3/1995

11,337

11,337

31.04

Andresen, August H.

196

R

MN

House

3/4/1925

3/3/1933

2,922

11,335

31.03

 

  

R

MN

House

1/3/1935

1/14/1958

8,413

  

  

Burton, Theodore E.

197

R

OH

House

3/4/1889

3/3/1891

730

11,195

30.65

 

  

R

OH

House

3/4/1895

3/3/1909

5,113

  

  

 

  

R

OH

Senate

3/4/1909

3/3/1915

2,191

  

  

 

  

R

OH

House

3/4/1921

12/15/1928

2,844

  

  

 

  

R

OH

Senate

12/15/1928

10/28/1929

318

  

  

Spence, Floyd D.

198

R

SC

House

1/3/1971

8/16/2001

11,184

11,184

30.62

Rooney, John J.

199

D

NY

House

6/6/1944

12/31/1974

11,166

11,166

30.57

Mansfield, Joseph J.

200

D

TX

House

3/4/1917

7/12/1947

11,088

11,088

30.36

Morgan, John T.

201

D

AL

Senate

3/4/1877

7/11/1907

11,086

11,086

30.35

Harrison, Byron P.

202

D

MS

House

3/4/1911

3/3/1919

2,922

11,069

30.31

 

  

D

MS

Senate

3/4/1919

6/22/1941

8,147

  

  

Walter, Francis E.

203

D

PA

House

3/4/1933

5/31/1963

11,046

11,046

30.24

Holman, William S.

204

D

IN

House

3/4/1859

3/3/1865

2,192

11,008

30.14

 

  

D

IN

House

3/4/1867

3/3/1877

3,653

  

  

 

  

D

IN

House

3/4/1881

3/3/1895

5,113

  

  

 

  

D

IN

House

3/4/1897

4/22/1897

50

  

  

Levin, Carl

205

D

MI

Senate

1/3/1979

  

10,998

10,998

30.11

Shelby, Richard C.

205

D

AL

House

1/3/1979

1/3/1987

2,923

10,998

30.11

 

  

D

AL

Senate

1/3/1987

11/9/1994

2,868

  

  

 

  

R

AL

Senate

11/9/1994

  

5,209

  

  

Snowe, Olympia J.

205

R

ME

House

1/3/1979

1/3/1995

5,845

10,998

30.11

 

  

R

ME

Senate

1/3/1995

  

5,154

  

  

Lewis, Jerry

208

R

CA

House

1/13/1979

  

10,988

10,988

30.08

Sensenbrenner, F. James

208

R

WI

House

1/13/1979

  

10,988

10,988

30.08

Newton, Thomas Jr.

210

D

VA

House

3/4/1801

3/9/1829

10,233

10,964

30.02

 

  

D

VA

House

3/4/1831

3/3/1833

731

  

  

Jacobs, Andrew Jr.

211

D

IN

House

1/3/1965

1/3/1973

2,923

10,960

30.01

 

  

D

IN

House

1/3/1975

1/3/1997

8,037

  

  

Udall, Morris

211

D

AZ

House

5/2/1961

5/4/1991

10,960

10,960

30.01

Warner, John

211

R

VA

Senate

1/2/1979

1/3/2009

10,960

10,960

30.01

Abernathy, Thomas G.

214

D

MS

House

1/3/1943

1/3/1973

10,959

10,959

30.00

Albert, Carl

214

D

OK

House

1/3/1947

1/3/1977

10,959

10,959

30.00

Archer, William (Bill)

214

D

TX

House

1/3/1971

1/3/2001

10,959

10,959

30.00

Bevill, Tom

214

D

AL

House

1/3/1967

1/3/1997

10,959

10,959

30.00

Buckley, Charles A.

214

D

NY

House

1/3/1935

1/3/1965

10,959

10,959

30.00

Evins, Joe L.

214

D

TN

House

1/3/1947

1/3/1977

10,959

10,959

30.00

Gathings, E.C.

214

D

AR

House

1/3/1939

1/3/1969

10,959

10,959

30.00

Horton, Frank

214

R

NY

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1993

10,959

10,959

30.00

Latta, Delbert

214

R

OH

House

1/3/1959

1/3/1989

10,959

10,959

30.00

Michener, Earl C.

214

R

MI

House

3/4/1919

3/3/1933

5,114

10,959

30.00

 

  

R

MI

House

1/3/1935

1/3/1951

5,845

  

  

Montgomery, G. V. (Sonny)

214

D

MS

House

1/3/1967

1/3/1997

10,959

10,959

30.00

Myers, John T.

214

R

IN

House

1/3/1967

1/3/1997

10,959

10,959

30.00

O'Konski, Alvin E.

214

R

WI

House

1/3/1943

1/3/1973

10,959

10,959

30.00

Passman, Otto E.

214

D

LA

House

1/3/1947

1/3/1977

10,959

10,959

30.00

Roybal, Edward

214

D

CA

House

1/3/1963

1/3/1993

10,959

10,959

30.00

Stratton, Samuel

214

D

NY

House

1/3/1959

1/3/1989

10,959

10,959

30.00

Foley, Thomas S.

230

D

WA

House

1/3/1965

1/3/1995

10,958

10,958

30.00

Ford, William D.

230

D

MI

House

1/3/1965

1/3/1995

10,958

10,958

30.00

Fountain, L. H.

230

D

NC

House

1/3/1953

1/3/1983

10,958

10,958

30.00

Garner, John N.

230

D

TX

House

3/4/1903

3/3/1933

10,958

10,958

30.00

Keogh, Eugene J.

230

D

NY

House

1/3/1937

1/3/1967

10,958

10,958

30.00

Leach, James A.

230

R

IA

House

1/3/1977

1/3/2007

10,958

10,958

30.00

Rhodes, John Jacob

230

R

AZ

House

1/3/1953

1/3/1983

10,958

10,958

30.00

Smoot, Reed

230

R

UT

Senate

3/4/1903

3/3/1933

10,958

10,958

30.00

Stokes, Louis

230

D

OH

House

1/3/1969

1/3/1999

10,958

10,958

30.00

Cockrell, Francis M.

239

D

MD

Senate

3/4/1875

3/3/1905

10,957

10,957

30.00

Jones, John P.

240

R

NE

Senate

3/4/1873

3/3/1903

10,956

10,956

30.00

Sources: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 - Present, continually updated and available on the website of the Clerk of the House at [http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp]. The Directory is available in hard copy as U.S. Congress, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005, H. Doc. 108-222 (Washington: GPO, 2006). Congressional Directory, various editions. "Table of Senators of the United States," in U.S. Congress, Senate, Senate Manual, Sen. Doc. 104-1 (Washington: GPO, 1996), pp. 963-1008.

Notes: Names of incumbents appear in boldface. Names of women appear in italics.

a. Members with the identical length of service are ranked with the same number. Thus, the three Members ranked 16th follow 15 Members with lengthier service. The next Member in the list is ranked 19th because he follows 18 Members with lengthier service.

b. Party abbreviations: D-Democratic; DR-Democratic Republican; I-Independent; J-Jacksonian; R-Republican

c. Length of service in years is presented as the ratio of the number of days of service divided by the average number of days per year on the Gregorian calendar, the current standard calendar in most of the world (365.2425 days per year).

Footnotes

1.

Delegates and Resident Commissioners are not included in this report.
2.

Harold R. Collier, "Service Time of Congressmen," Extension of Remarks, Congressional Record, Mar. 9, 1967, vol. 113, part 5, pp. 6191-6193.
3.

Earlier editions of this report presented congressional service in terms of years, months, and days. But the method was based on assumptions about the number of days per month and was imprecise. This report avoids the imprecision associated with that method by counting each Member's days of congressional service, beginning on his or her first day of service and ending on the last. In carrying out this approach, CRS used a computer application that calculates the days elapsed from one date to another. The application knows the number of days of each month, and it is designed to handle the intercalary day for leap years. However, the number of elapsed days does not include the first day of service, so the number of days served is equal to the number of elapsed days plus 1.
4.

To report congressional service in terms of years and fractions of years, we divide the total days served, which includes intercalary days for leap years, by the average number of days in the Gregorian year (365.2425).
5.

The Biographical Directory is available in hard copy as U.S. Congress, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005, H. Doc. 108-222 (Washington: GPO, 2006). A continually updated version is available on the website of the Clerk of the House at http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp.