List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service

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:

  1. Achieved time uninterrupted (total tenure rank only)
  2. Achieved time first
  3. Senators over representatives (House and Senate list only)
  4. Senate or House seniority (Charles Rangel versus Bill Young, Dan Rostenkowski versus Neal Edward Smith)

The lists include fourteen currently serving members: John Dingell, Daniel Inouye, John Conyers, Charles B. Rangel, Bill Young, Thad Cochran, Pete Stark, Don Young, Patrick Leahy, Max Baucus, Chuck Grassley, Tom Harkin, George Miller, and Henry Waxman. It includes thirteen former members who are still alive: Jack Brooks, Ernest Hollings, Robert H. Michel, Joe Biden, William Broomfield, Neal Edward Smith, Joseph McDade, Paul Sarbanes, Pete Domenici, Ralph Regula, Christopher Dodd, Dave Obey, and James Oberstar.

Contents

Key

In gold Currently serving
H Served in House (only for House and Senate combined categories)
S Served in Senate (only for House and Senate combined categories)
I Interruptions in service (only for total tenure categories)

House and Senate time

Total tenure
rank
Uninterrupted
rank
Name Total tenure time Uninterrupted time
1 1 Robert Byrd (H,S) 57 years, 176 days 57 years, 176 days
2 2 Carl Hayden (H,S) 56 years, 319 days 56 years, 319 days
3 3 John Dingell (H) &1000000000000005600000056 years, &1000000000000007900000079 days &1000000000000005600000056 years, &1000000000000007900000079 days
4 4 Jamie L. Whitten (H) 53 years, 60 days 53 years, 60 days
5 5 Daniel Inouye (H,S) &1000000000000005200000052 years, &10000000000000193000000193 days &1000000000000005200000052 years, &10000000000000193000000193 days
6 6 Carl Vinson (H) 50 years, 61 days 50 years, 61 days
7 7 Emanuel Celler (H) 49 years, 305 days 49 years, 305 days
8 8 Sam Rayburn (H) 48 years, 257 days 48 years, 257 days
9   Sidney R. Yates (H,I) 48 years, 0 days n/a
10 12 Strom Thurmond (S,I) 47 years, 159 days 46 years, 57 days
11 9 Wright Patman (H) 47 years, 3 days 47 years, 3 days
12 10 John Conyers (H) &1000000000000004700000047 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004700000047 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
13 11 Ted Kennedy (S) 46 years, 292 days 46 years, 292 days
14   Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I) 46 years, 0 days n/a
15 13 Adolph J. Sabath (H) 45 years, 247 days 45 years, 247 days
16 14 J. Lister Hill (H,S) 45 years, 142 days 45 years, 142 days
17 15 George H. Mahon (H) 44 years, 0 days 44 years, 0 days
18 16 Warren Magnuson (H,S) 44 years, 0 days 44 years, 0 days
19 17 Charles Edward Bennett (H) 44 years, 0 days 44 years, 0 days
20 18 Justin Smith Morrill (H,S) 43 years, 299 days 43 years, 299 days
21   William B. Allison (H,S,I) 43 years, 152 days n/a
22 19 Charles Melvin Price (H) 43 years, 110 days 43 years, 110 days
23 20 Henry M. Jackson (H,S) 42 years, 241 days 42 years, 241 days
24   Carter Glass (H,S,I) 42 years, 157 days n/a
25 21 John William McCormack (H) 42 years, 58 days 42 years, 58 days
26 22 John Sparkman (H,S) 42 years, 0 days 42 years, 0 days
27 23 William R. Poage (H) 42 years, 0 days 42 years, 0 days
28 24 Jack Brooks (H) 42 years, 0 days 42 years, 0 days
29 25 Robert L. Doughton (H) 41 years, 305 days 41 years, 305 days
30 26 Joseph William Martin, Jr. (H) 41 years, 305 days 41 years, 305 days
31 27 Dave Obey (H) 41 years, 276 days 41 years, 276 days
32 28 Clarence Cannon (H) 41 years, 69 days 41 years, 69 days
33 29 John C. Stennis (S) 41 years, 59 days 41 years, 59 days
34 30 Kenneth McKellar (H,S) 41 years, 30 days 41 years, 30 days
35 31 Charles B. Rangel (H) &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
36 32 Bill Young (H) &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
37 33 William Huston Natcher (H) 40 years, 240 days 40 years, 240 days
38   Claude Pepper (H,S,I) 40 years, 207 days n/a
39 34 William P. Frye (H,S) 40 years, 157 days 40 years, 157 days
40 35 Ted Stevens (S) 40 years, 10 days 40 years, 10 days
41 36 Carl Curtis (H,S) 40 years, 0 days 40 years, 0 days
42 37 Peter W. Rodino (H) 40 years, 0 days 40 years, 0 days
43   Jennings Randolph (H,S,I) 39 years, 364 days n/a
44   Eugene Hale (H,S,I) 39 years, 363 days n/a
45 38 Leslie C. Arends (H) 39 years, 362 days 39 years, 362 days
46 39 Daniel A. Reed (H) 39 years, 352 days 39 years, 352 days
47 40 George William Norris (H,S) 39 years, 305 days 39 years, 305 days
48 41 John Taber (H) 39 years, 305 days 39 years, 305 days
49 42 William M. Colmer (H) 39 years, 305 days 39 years, 305 days
50   Samuel Smith (H,S,I) 39 years, 9 days n/a
51 43 Thad Cochran (H,S) &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
52 44 Pete Stark (H) &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
53   John Little McClellan (H,S,I) 38 years, 329 days n/a
54 45 Don Young (H) &1000000000000003800000038 years, &10000000000000361000000361 days &1000000000000003800000038 years, &10000000000000361000000361 days
55 46 Morris Sheppard (H,S) 38 years, 145 days 38 years, 145 days
56 47 Ernest Hollings (S) 38 years, 55 days 38 years, 55 days
57 48 Richard Russell, Jr. (S) 38 years, 9 days 38 years, 9 days
58   John Sherman (H,S,I) 38 years, 4 days n/a
59 49 Russell B. Long (S) 38 years, 3 days 38 years, 3 days
60 50 Frederick H. Gillett (H,S) 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
61 51 Wilbur Mills (H) 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
62 52 Dante Fascell (H) 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
63 53 Robert H. Michel (H) 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
64   Robert Crosser (H,I) 37 years, 305 days n/a
65   Robert L. F. Sikes (H,I) 37 years, 290 days n/a
66 54 Nathaniel Macon (H,S) 37 years, 255 days 37 years, 255 days
67 55 Henry Cabot Lodge (H,S) 37 years, 250 days 37 years, 250 days
68   Alben W. Barkley (H,S,I) 37 years, 74 days n/a
69 56 Henry B. Gonzalez (H) 37 years, 60 days 37 years, 60 days
70   Francis E. Warren (S,I) 37 years, 6 days n/a
71 57 Patrick Leahy (S) &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
72 58 Max Baucus (H,S) &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
73 59 Chuck Grassley (H,S) &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
74 60 Tom Harkin (H,S) &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
75 61 George Miller (H) &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
76 62 Henry Waxman (H) &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
77   James Eastland (S,I) 36 years, 83 days n/a
78 63 Joe Biden (S) 36 years, 12 days 36 years, 12 days
79 64 John Murtha (H) 36 years, 3 days 36 years, 3 days
80 65 Henry L. Dawes (H,S) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
81 66 Felix Edward Hébert (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
82 67 Edward Boland (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
83 68 William Broomfield (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
84 69 Dan Rostenkowski (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
85 70 Neal Edward Smith (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
86 71 Claiborne Pell (S) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
87 72 Joseph McDade (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
88 73 Paul Sarbanes (H,S) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
89 74 Pete Domenici (S) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
90 75 Ralph Regula (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
91 76 Christopher Dodd (H,S) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
92 77 James Oberstar (H) 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
93   Shelby M. Cullom (H,S,I) 36 years, 0 days n/a
94   Henry A. Cooper (H,I) 36 years, 0 days n/a

Senate time

The 90th Congress was notable because for a period of 10 days (December 24, 1968 – January 3, 1969), it contained within its Senate all 10 of the longest-serving Senators in history. This period stretched from the installation of Ted Stevens of Alaska after his special-election victory to the retirement of Carl Hayden of Arizona early the next year.

Total tenure
rank
Uninterrupted
rank
Name State represented Dates of service Total tenure time Uninterrupted time
1 1 Robert Byrd West Virginia January 3, 1959- June 28, 2010 51 years, 176 days 51 years, 176 days
2 2 Daniel Inouye Hawaii Since January 3, 1963 &1000000000000004900000049 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004900000049 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
3 4 Strom Thurmond (I) South Carolina December 24, 1954- April 7, 1956
November 7, 1956- January 3, 2003
47 years, 159 days 46 years, 57 days
4 3 Ted Kennedy Massachusetts November 7, 1962- August 25, 2009 46 years, 292 days 46 years, 292 days
5 5 Carl Hayden Arizona March 4, 1927- January 3, 1969 41 years, 305 days 41 years, 305 days
6 6 John C. Stennis Mississippi November 7, 1947- January 3, 1989 41 years, 59 days 41 years, 59 days
7 7 Ted Stevens Alaska December 24, 1968- January 3, 2009 40 years, 10 days 40 years, 10 days
8 8 Ernest Hollings South Carolina November 8, 1966- January 3, 2005 38 years, 55 days 38 years, 55 days
9 9 Richard Russell, Jr. Georgia January 12, 1933- January 21, 1971 38 years, 9 days 38 years, 9 days
10 10 Russell B. Long Louisiana December 31, 1948- January 3, 1987 38 years, 3 days 38 years, 3 days
11   Francis E. Warren (I) Wyoming November 18, 1890- March 4, 1893
March 4, 1895- November 24, 1929
37 years, 6 days n/a
12 11 Patrick Leahy Vermont Since January 3, 1975 &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
13   James Eastland (I) Mississippi June 30-September 28, 1941
January 3, 1943- December 27, 1978
36 years, 83 days n/a
14 12 Warren Magnuson Washington December 18, 1944-January 3, 1981 36 years, 20 days 36 years, 20 days
15 13 Joe Biden Delaware January 3, 1973- January 15, 2009 36 years, 12 days 36 years, 12 days
16 14 Claiborne Pell Rhode Island January 3, 1961-January 3, 1997 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
17 15 Pete Domenici New Mexico January 3, 1973-January 3, 2009 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days

House time

Total tenure
rank
Uninterrupted
rank
Name Total tenure time Uninterrupted time
1 1 John Dingell &1000000000000005600000056 years, &1000000000000007900000079 days &1000000000000005600000056 years, &1000000000000007900000079 days
2 2 Jamie L. Whitten 53 years, 60 days 53 years, 60 days
3 3 Carl Vinson 50 years, 61 days 50 years, 61 days
4 4 Emanuel Celler 49 years, 305 days 49 years, 305 days
5 5 Sam Rayburn 48 years, 257 days 48 years, 257 days
6   Sidney R. Yates (I) 48 years, 0 days n/a
7 6 Wright Patman 47 years, 3 days 47 years, 3 days
8 7 John Conyers &1000000000000004700000047 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004700000047 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
9   Joseph Gurney Cannon (I) 46 years, 0 days n/a
10 8 Adolph J. Sabath 45 years, 247 days 45 years, 247 days
11 9 George H. Mahon 44 years, 0 days 44 years, 0 days
12 10 Charles Edward Bennett 44 years, 0 days 44 years, 0 days
13 11 Charles Melvin Price 43 years, 110 days 43 years, 110 days
14 12 John William McCormack 42 years, 58 days 42 years, 58 days
15 13 William R. Poage 42 years, 0 days 42 years, 0 days
16 14 Jack Brooks 42 years, 0 days 42 years, 0 days
17 15 Robert L. Doughton 41 years, 305 days 41 years, 305 days
18 16 Joseph William Martin, Jr. 41 years, 305 days 41 years, 305 days
19 17 Dave Obey 41 years, 276 days 41 years, 276 days
20 18 Clarence Cannon 41 years, 69 days 41 years, 69 days
21 19 Charles B. Rangel &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
22 20 Bill Young &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000004100000041 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
23 21 William Huston Natcher 40 years, 240 days 40 years, 240 days
24 22 Peter W. Rodino 40 years, 0 days 40 years, 0 days
25 23 Leslie C. Arends 39 years, 362 days 39 years, 362 days
26 24 Daniel A. Reed 39 years, 352 days 39 years, 352 days
27 25 John Taber 39 years, 305 days 39 years, 305 days
28 26 William M. Colmer 39 years, 305 days 39 years, 305 days
29 27 Pete Stark &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003900000039 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
30 28 Don Young &1000000000000003800000038 years, &10000000000000361000000361 days &1000000000000003800000038 years, &10000000000000361000000361 days
31 29 Wilbur Mills 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
32 30 Dante Fascell 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
33 31 Robert H. Michel 38 years, 0 days 38 years, 0 days
34   Robert Crosser (I) 37 years, 305 days n/a
35   Robert L. F. Sikes (I) 37 years, 290 days n/a
36 32 Henry B. Gonzalez 37 years, 60 days 37 years, 60 days
37 33 George Miller &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
38 34 Henry Waxman &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days &1000000000000003700000037 years, &1000000000000005800000058 days
39 35 John Murtha 36 years, 3 days 36 years, 3 days
40 36 Felix Edward Hébert 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
41 37 Edward Boland 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
42 38 William Broomfield 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
43 39 Dan Rostenkowski 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
44 40 Neal Edward Smith 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
45 41 Joseph McDade 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
46 42 Ralph Regula 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
47 43 James Oberstar 36 years, 0 days 36 years, 0 days
48   Henry A. Cooper (I) 36 years, 0 days n/a

See also

References