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This list of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service includes representatives and senators who have served for at least 36 years, in the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, or both. In cases where there is a tie in time, the following criteria will sort people higher:
Senate and House. House. References. List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress. This is a list of United States congressmen who have set records for longevity of service since the United States 1st Congress in 1789. It is divided up into several categories. Uninterrupted time. Senate and House. House.
Begin DateEnd DateNamePartyMarch 4, 1789June 6, 1802Anti-Administration / FederalistMarch 4, 1789June 6, 1802Pro-Administration/ Anti-Administration/ ...June 6, 1802December 6, 1808Pro-Administration/ Federalist/ ...December 6, 1808December 25, 1811FederalistPeople also ask
Who is a member of the United States Congress by longevity of service?
Who is the longest serving congressman in US history?
How long have members of Congress been in Congress?
How many members of Congress have the longest tenure?
- Longest Serving Former and Current Senators
- Longest Serving House Members
- 13 Longest Serving Active Members of Congress
- Why Does Length of Time Served Matter?
While there have been efforts made by both former President Trump and others in the past to limit the number of terms senators can serve, there are currently no term limits for Congress. Proposed term limits have been proposed to limit service to two consecutive terms, totaling 12 years of service consecutively. These measures, however, have never ...
The most recent proposed term limit legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) in November 2021, which would limit incoming members of Congress to serve a maximum of three two-year terms consecutively. So far, this joint resolution has garnered 79 cosponsors, all of whom are Republicans. If this bill had been passed duri...
There are 13 active members of Congress that have the longest tenure of service, some of whom have served only in one chamber and some of whom have served both the Senate and House of Representatives. These are members of Congress actively serving that have the longest combined record of service on anyone currently serving in Congress. *Has served ...
The average age of members of Congress skews older than the average age of most Americans, with the average American being20 years younger than their representative in Congress. As of 2015, 19 percent of Americans eligible to run for Congressare 65 or older. With Congress meant to reflect the diversity (including age) of the United States populatio...
- Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) Jan 3, 1959–Jun 28, 2010. 51 years, 5 months, 26 days.
- Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) Jan 3, 1963–Dec 17, 2012. 49 years, 11 months, 15 days.
- Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) Jan 3, 1975–Jan 3, 2023. 48 years.
- Strom Thurmond (D, R-SC) Dec 14, 1954–Apr 4, 1956. and Nov 7, 1956–Jan 3, 2003. 47 years, 5 months, 8 days.
- John Dingell. Tenure Length: 59 years, 21 days. Area of Service: House of Representatives. First Year Served: 1955. Lifespan: 1926-2019. John Dingell is the longest-serving congressman in United States history.
- Robert Byrd. Tenure Length: 57 years, 176 days. Area of Service: House and Senate. First Year Served: 1959. Lifespan: 1917-2010. Robert Carlyle Byrd, originally born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr., served six years in the United States House of Representatives before he was elected to the US Senate in 1958.
- Carl Hayden. Tenure Length: 56 years, 319 days. Area of Service: House and Senate. First Year Served: 1912. Lifespan: 1877-1972. Carl Hayden loved delving into history and political speech so much as a child that his mother affectionately nicknamed him “The Senator” long before his political career actually began!
- Daniel Inouye. Tenure Length: 53 years, 118 days. Area of Service: House and Senate. First Year Served: 1963. Lifespan: 1924-2012. Daniel Ken Inouye served from 1963 until his passing, already having fought in World War II and been decorated for his achievement.
About: List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress. This is a list of United States congressmen who have set records for longevity of service since the United States 1st Congress in 1789. It is divided up into several categories.
This is a list of United States congresspersons by longevity of service. It includes those Representatives and Senators who have served at least 36 years. It is divided up into several categories. In cases where there is a tie in time the following criteria will sort people higher: Achieved time uninterrupted (total tenure rank only)
