List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service Information & List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service Links at HealthHaven.com

This is a list of United States congressmen by longevity of service. It is meant to only cover those congressmen who have set records for longevity of service (over 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 the time uninterrupted (total tenure rank only)
Achieved the time first
Senators over Representatives (House and Senate list only)
Senate or House Seniority (Charles Rangel vs. Bill Young, Dan Rostenkowski vs. Neal Edward Smith)

Amongst currently sitting congressmen, there are ten on these lists: Robert Byrd, John Dingell, Daniel Inouye, John Conyers, Dave Obey, Charles B. Rangel, Bill Young, Thad Cochran, Pete Stark, and Don Young. Amongst retired congressmen on these lists, there are twelve still living: Jack Brooks, Robert H. Michel, Ernest Hollings, William Broomfield, Dan Rostenkowski, Neal Edward Smith, Joseph McDade, Paul Sarbanes, Ted Stevens, Pete Domenici, Ralph Regula, and Joe Biden.

[edit] Key

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

[edit] House and Senate time

Total Tenure Rank	Uninterrupted Rank	Name	Total Tenure Time	Uninterrupted Time
1	1	Robert Byrd (H,S)	+&0000000000000056.00000056 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000056.00000056 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
2	2	Carl Hayden (H,S)	56 years, 319 days	56 years, 319 days
3	3	John Dingell (H)	+&0000000000000053.00000053 years, &0000000000000358.000000358 days	+&0000000000000053.00000053 years, &0000000000000358.000000358 days
4	4	Jamie L. Whitten (H)	53 years, 60 days	53 years, 60 days
5	5	Daniel Inouye (H,S)	+&0000000000000050.00000050 years, &0000000000000107.000000107 days	+&0000000000000050.00000050 years, &0000000000000107.000000107 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	999	Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I)	48 years, 0 days	n/a
10	999	Sidney R. Yates (H,I)	48 years, 0 days	n/a
11	11	Strom Thurmond (S,I)	47 years, 159 days	46 years, 57 days
12	9	Wright Patman (H)	47 years, 3 days	47 years, 3 days
13	10	Ted Kennedy (S)	46 years, 292 days	46 years, 292 days
14	12	Adolph J. Sabath (H)	45 years, 247 days	45 years, 247 days
15	13	J. Lister Hill (H,S)	45 years, 142 days	45 years, 142 days
16	14	John Conyers (H)	+&0000000000000044.00000044 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000044.00000044 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 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	999	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	999	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	Clarence Cannon (H)	41 years, 69 days	41 years, 69 days
32	28	John C. Stennis (S)	41 years, 59 days	41 years, 59 days
33	29	Kenneth McKellar (H,S)	41 years, 30 days	41 years, 30 days
34	30	Dave Obey (H)	+&0000000000000040.00000040 years, &0000000000000249.000000249 days	+&0000000000000040.00000040 years, &0000000000000249.000000249 days
35	31	William Huston Natcher (H)	40 years, 240 days	40 years, 240 days
36	999	Claude Pepper (H,S,I)	40 years, 207 days	n/a
37	32	William P. Frye (H,S)	40 years, 157 days	40 years, 157 days
38	33	Ted Stevens (S)	40 years, 10 days	40 years, 10 days
39	34	Carl Curtis (H,S)	40 years, 0 days	40 years, 0 days
40	35	Peter W. Rodino (H)	40 years, 0 days	40 years, 0 days
41	999	Jennings Randolph (H,S,I)	39 years, 364 days	n/a
42	999	Eugene Hale (H,S,I)	39 years, 363 days	n/a
43	36	Leslie C. Arends (H)	39 years, 362 days	39 years, 362 days
44	37	Daniel A. Reed (H)	39 years, 352 days	39 years, 352 days
45	38	George William Norris (H,S)	39 years, 305 days	39 years, 305 days
46	39	John Taber (H)	39 years, 305 days	39 years, 305 days
47	40	William M. Colmer (H)	39 years, 305 days	39 years, 305 days
48	999	Samuel Smith (H,S,I)	39 years, 9 days	n/a
49	41	Charles B. Rangel (H)	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
50	42	Bill Young (H)	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
51	999	John Little McClellan (H,S,I)	38 years, 329 days	n/a
53	43	Morris Sheppard (H,S)	38 years, 145 days	38 years, 145 days
53	44	Ernest Hollings (S)	38 years, 55 days	38 years, 55 days
54	45	Richard Russell, Jr. (S)	38 years, 9 days	38 years, 9 days
55	999	John Sherman (H,S,I)	38 years, 4 days	n/a
56	46	Russell B. Long (S)	38 years, 3 days	38 years, 3 days
57	47	Frederick H. Gillett (H,S)	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
58	48	Wilbur Mills (H)	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
59	49	Dante Fascell (H)	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
60	50	Robert H. Michel (H)	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
61	999	Robert Crosser (H,I)	37 years, 305 days	n/a
62	999	Robert L. F. Sikes (H,I)	37 years, 290 days	n/a
63	51	Nathaniel Macon (H,S)	37 years, 255 days	37 years, 255 days
64	52	Henry Cabot Lodge (H,S)	37 years, 250 days	37 years, 250 days
65	999	Alben W. Barkley (H,S,I)	37 years, 74 days	n/a
66	53	Henry B. Gonzalez (H)	37 years, 60 days	37 years, 60 days
67	999	Francis E. Warren (S,I)	37 years, 6 days	n/a
68	54	Thad Cochran (H,S)	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
69	55	Pete Stark (H)	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
70	56	Don Young (H)	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000275.000000275 days	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000275.000000275 days
71	999	James Eastland (S,I)	36 years, 83 days	n/a
72	57	Joe Biden (S)	36 years, 12 days	36 years, 12 days
73	58	Henry L. Dawes (H,S)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
74	59	Felix Edward Hébert (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
75	60	Edward Boland (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
76	61	William Broomfield (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
77	62	Dan Rostenkowski (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
78	63	Neal Edward Smith (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
79	64	Claiborne Pell (S)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
80	65	Joseph McDade (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
81	66	Paul Sarbanes (H,S)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
82	67	Pete Domenici (S)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
83	68	Ralph Regula (H)	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
84	999	Shelby M. Cullom (H,S,I)	36 years, 0 days	n/a
85	999	Henry A. Cooper (H,I)	36 years, 0 days	n/a

[edit] Senate time

Total Tenure Rank	Uninterrupted Rank	Name	Total Tenure Time	Uninterrupted Time
1	1	Robert Byrd	+&0000000000000050.00000050 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000050.00000050 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
2	4	Strom Thurmond (I)	47 years, 159 days	46 years, 57 days
3	2	Daniel Inouye	+&0000000000000046.00000046 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000046.00000046 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
4	3	Ted Kennedy	46 years, 292 days	46 years, 292 days
5	5	Carl Hayden	41 years, 305 days	41 years, 305 days
6	6	John C. Stennis	41 years, 59 days	41 years, 59 days
7	7	Ted Stevens	40 years, 10 days	40 years, 10 days
8	8	Ernest Hollings	38 years, 55 days	38 years, 55 days
9	9	Richard Russell, Jr.	38 years, 9 days	38 years, 9 days
10	10	Russell B. Long	38 years, 3 days	38 years, 3 days
11	999	Francis E. Warren (I)	37 years, 6 days	n/a
12	999	James Eastland (I)	36 years, 83 days	n/a
13	11	Warren G. Magnuson	36 years, 20 days	36 years, 20 days
14	12	Joe Biden	36 years, 12 days	36 years, 12 days
15	13	Claiborne Pell	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
16	14	Pete Domenici	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days

[edit] House time

Total Tenure Rank	Uninterrupted Rank	Name	Total Tenure Time	Uninterrupted Time
1	1	John Dingell	+&0000000000000053.00000053 years, &0000000000000358.000000358 days	+&0000000000000053.00000053 years, &0000000000000358.000000358 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	999	Joseph Gurney Cannon (I)	48 years, 0 days	n/a
7	999	Sidney R. Yates (I)	48 years, 0 days	n/a
8	6	Wright Patman	47 years, 3 days	47 years, 3 days
9	7	Adolph J. Sabath	45 years, 247 days	45 years, 247 days
10	8	John Conyers	+&0000000000000044.00000044 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000044.00000044 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 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	Clarence Cannon	41 years, 69 days	41 years, 69 days
20	18	Dave Obey	+&0000000000000040.00000040 years, &0000000000000249.000000249 days	+&0000000000000040.00000040 years, &0000000000000249.000000249 days
21	19	William Huston Natcher	40 years, 240 days	40 years, 240 days
22	20	Peter W. Rodino	40 years, 0 days	40 years, 0 days
23	21	Leslie C. Arends	39 years, 362 days	39 years, 362 days
24	22	Daniel A. Reed	39 years, 352 days	39 years, 352 days
25	23	John Taber	39 years, 305 days	39 years, 305 days
26	24	William M. Colmer	39 years, 305 days	39 years, 305 days
27	25	Charles B. Rangel	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
28	26	Bill Young	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000038.00000038 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
29	27	Wilbur Mills	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
30	28	Dante Fascell	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
31	29	Robert H. Michel	38 years, 0 days	38 years, 0 days
32	999	Robert Crosser (I)	37 years, 305 days	n/a
33	999	Robert L. F. Sikes (I)	37 years, 290 days	n/a
34	30	Henry B. Gonzalez	37 years, 60 days	37 years, 60 days
35	31	Pete Stark	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000337.000000337 days
36	32	Don Young	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000275.000000275 days	+&0000000000000036.00000036 years, &0000000000000275.000000275 days
37	33	Felix Edward Hébert	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
38	34	Edward Boland	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
39	35	William Broomfield	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
40	36	Dan Rostenkowski	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
41	37	Neal Edward Smith	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
42	38	Joseph McDade	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
43	39	Ralph Regula	36 years, 0 days	36 years, 0 days
44	999	Henry A. Cooper (I)	36 years, 0 days	n/a

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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

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