Length of Congressional Service: First Through 107th Congresses
Congressional research reportAug 9, 2002
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Order Code RS21285
August 9, 2002
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Length of Congressional Service:
First Through 107th Congresses
David C. Huckabee
Specialist in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
This report presents data on the length of service for Representatives and Senators
from 1789 to 2002. The data are from a computer file on the biographical
characteristics of Members of Congress maintained at the University of Michigan.
The data are presented in nine tables, one for House and Senate service combined,
and eight more, four for each chamber. Table 1 covers the entire period from 1789 to
2002, showing the total number of terms served summing House and Senate service
together. Table 2 (House) and Table 6 (Senate) also cover the entire period, but they
summarize service in the respective chambers. Table 3 and Table 7 include data for
the 18th and 19th centuries; Table 4 and Table 8 cover the 20th and 21st centuries; and
Table 5 and Table 9 cover the period from 1947 to 2002. Each table is a arranged in
a similar fashion, showing how many Members served in only one Congress, how many
served in two Congresses, etc; the proportion of the total each group represents; a
running total (cumulative number of Members) in each category; and a similar
cumulative percent.
Efforts to impose limits on the tenure of Members of Congress have not been
successful, but many have centered on a 12-year limit.1 One may contrast the
proportion of Members who served more than 12 years for each body for the periods
covered. Overall, in the House, 13.9% of the Representatives elected to serve during
the period 1789-2002 served more than six Congresses (12 years); the figure was 21.9%
in the Senate (see Tables 2 and 6). The comparable figures for the 18th and 19th
centuries were 2.8% for the House and 10.9% for the Senate (Tables 3 and 7).
The proportion of Members serving for more than 12 years in the 20th and 21st
centuries is 26.9% for the House and 31.7% for the Senate (Tables 4 and 8). The data
for the post-WWII period, beginning in 1947, sums to 35.1% for the House and 41.2%
for the Senate (Tables 5 and 9).
1
For a discussion of these efforts, see CRS Report 96-152 GOV, Term Limits for Members of
Congress: State Activity, by Sula P. Richardson.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
CRS-2
Table 1. Congressional Service: 1st-107th Congresses, 1798-2002
Total no. of
Congresses
served
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
29
Number served
Number of
Percent of total
Members
Members
3,547
30.4
2,373
20.4
1,559
13.4
898
7.7
689
5.9
573
4.9
411
3.5
318
2.7
293
2.5
240
2.1
163
1.4
141
1.2
100
0.9
82
0.7
77
0.7
50
0.4
36
0.3
32
0.3
16
0.1
11
0.1
13
0.1
13
0.1
4
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.0
1
0.0
1
0.0
1
0.0
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Members
percent
3,547
30.4
5,920
50.8
7,479
64.2
8,377
71.9
9,066
77.8
9,639
82.7
10,050
86.3
10,368
89.0
10,661
91.5
10,901
93.6
11,064
95.0
11,205
96.2
11,305
97.0
11,387
97.7
11,464
98.4
11,514
98.8
11,550
99.1
11,582
99.4
11,598
99.6
11,609
99.6
11,622
99.8
11,635
99.9
11,639
99.9
11,643
99.9
11,647
100.0
11,648
100.0
11,649
100.0
11,650
100.0
Note: In this table House and Senate service are summed together (denoted as “congressional
service”). The source for all the tables in this report is: McKibbin, Carroll, and the Inter-university
Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), Roster of United States Congressional Officeholders
and Biographical Characteristics of Members of the United States Congress, 1789-1996: Merged Data,
ICPSR study no. 7803 (Ann Arbor, MI). Frequencies, percentages, and 1997-2002 data updates are by
CRS. These data are for the total number of Congresses served. They make no distinctions for breaks in
service, and Members who only served part of a term are counted as having served a complete term.
Table 2. House Service: 1st-107th Congresses, 1798-2002
Total no. of
Number served
Congresses
Number of
Percent of total
served
Representatives Representatives
1
3,409
32.8
2
2,354
22.7
3
1,294
12.5
4
854
8.2
5
619
6.0
6
412
4.0
7
326
3.1
8
260
2.5
9
197
1.9
10
190
1.8
11
116
1.1
12
85
0.8
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Representatives
percent
3,409
32.8
5,763
55.5
7,057
67.9
7,911
76.1
8,530
82.1
8,942
86.1
9,268
89.2
9,528
91.7
9,725
93.6
9,915
95.4
10,031
96.6
10,116
97.4
CRS-3
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
70
54
49
32
23
13
8
4
7
4
2
3
2
1
1
0.7
0.5
0.5
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10,186
10,240
10,289
10,321
10,344
10,357
10,365
10,369
10,376
10,380
10,382
10,385
10,387
10,388
10,389
98.0
98.6
99.0
99.3
99.6
99.7
99.8
99.8
99.9
99.9
99.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Table 3. House Service: 1st-56th Congresses, 1798-1901
(18th and 19th Centuries)
Total no. of
Number served
Congresses
Number of
Percent of total
served
Representatives Representatives
1
2,398
42.9
2
1,685
30.1
3
718
12.8
4
354
6.3
5
181
3.2
6
100
1.8
7
55
1.0
8
35
0.6
9
30
0.5
10
13
0.2
11
6
0.1
12
3
0.1
13
3
0.1
14
4
0.1
15
3
0.1
16
2
0.0
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Representatives
percent
2,398
42.9
4,083
73.0
4,801
85.9
5,155
92.2
5,336
95.5
5,436
97.2
5,491
98.2
5,526
98.9
5,556
99.4
5,569
99.6
5,575
99.7
5,578
99.8
5,581
99.8
5,585
99.9
5,588
100.0
5,590
100.0
Table 4. House Service: 57th-107th Congresses, 1901-2002
(20th and 21st Centuries)
Total no. of
Number served
Congresses
Number of
Percent of total
served
Representatives Representatives
1
1,016
21.1
2
671
14.0
3
576
12.0
4
500
10.4
5
439
9.1
6
312
6.5
7
271
5.6
8
225
4.7
9
167
3.5
10
177
3.7
11
110
2.3
12
82
1.7
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Representatives
percent
1,016
21.1
1,687
35.1
2,263
47.1
2,763
57.5
3,202
66.6
3,514
73.1
3,785
78.7
4,010
83.4
4,177
86.9
4,354
90.6
4,464
92.9
4,546
94.6
CRS-4
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
67
50
46
30
23
13
8
4
7
4
2
3
2
1
1
1.4
1.0
1.0
0.6
0.5
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
4,613
4,663
4,709
4,739
4,762
4,775
4,783
4,787
4,794
4,798
4,800
4,803
4,805
4,806
4,807
96.0
97.0
98.0
98.6
99.1
99.3
99.5
99.6
99.7
99.8
99.9
99.9
100.0
100.0
100.0
Table 5. House Service: 80th-107th Congresses, 1947-2002
Total no. of
Number served
Congresses
Number of
Percent of total
served
Representatives Representatives
1
367
15.2
2
258
10.7
3
265
11.0
4
257
10.6
5
252
10.4
6
170
7.0
7
142
5.9
8
137
5.7
9
103
4.3
10
112
4.6
11
72
3.0
12
57
2.4
13
53
2.2
14
42
1.7
15
42
1.7
16
27
1.1
17
17
0.7
18
12
0.5
19
8
0.3
20
4
0.2
21
7
0.3
22
4
0.2
23
1
0.0
24
3
0.1
25
2
0.1
26
1
0.0
27
1
0.0
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Representatives
percent
367
15.2
625
25.9
890
36.8
1,147
47.5
1,399
57.9
1,569
64.9
1,711
70.8
1,848
76.5
1,951
80.8
2,063
85.4
2,135
88.4
2,192
90.7
2,245
92.9
2,287
94.7
2,329
96.4
2,356
97.5
2,373
98.2
2,385
98.7
2,393
99.0
2,397
99.2
2,404
99.5
2,408
99.7
2,409
99.7
2,412
99.8
2,414
99.9
2,415
100.0
2,416
100.0
CRS-5
Table 6. Senate Service: 1st-107th Congresses, 1798-2002
Total no. of
Congresses
served
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
25
Number served
Number of
Percent of total
Senators
Senators
332
17.6
202
10.7
500
26.6
127
6.7
108
5.7
201
10.7
72
3.8
54
2.9
94
5.0
21
1.1
23
1.2
56
3.0
16
0.8
18
1.0
21
1.1
11
0.6
5
0.3
10
0.5
4
0.2
2
0.1
4
0.2
1
0.1
1
0.1
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Senators
percent
332
17.6
534
28.4
1,034
54.9
1,161
61.7
1,269
67.4
1,470
78.1
1,542
81.9
1,596
84.8
1,690
89.8
1,711
90.9
1,734
92.1
1,790
95.1
1,806
95.9
1,824
96.9
1,845
98.0
1,856
98.6
1,861
98.8
1,871
99.4
1,875
99.6
1,877
99.7
1,881
99.9
1,882
99.9
1,883
100.0
Table 7. Senate Service: 1st-56th Congresses, 1798-1901
(18th and 19th Centuries)
Total no. of
Congresses
served
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
Number served
Number of
Percent of total
Senators
Senators
158
17.9
144
16.3
282
31.9
67
7.6
62
7.0
75
8.5
33
3.7
17
1.9
22
2.5
8
0.9
5
0.6
4
0.5
2
0.2
1
0.1
1
0.1
2
0.2
1
0.1
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Senators
percent
158
17.9
302
34.2
584
66.1
651
73.6
713
80.7
788
89.1
821
92.9
838
94.8
860
97.3
868
98.2
873
98.8
877
99.2
879
99.4
880
99.5
881
99.7
883
99.9
884
100.0
CRS-6
Table 8. Senate Service: 57th-107th Congresses, 1901-2002
(20th and 21st Centuries)
Total no. of
Congresses
served
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
25
Number served
Number of
Percent of total
Senators
Senators
174
17.4
58
5.8
218
21.8
60
6.0
46
4.6
126
12.6
39
3.9
37
3.7
72
7.2
13
1.3
18
1.8
52
5.2
14
1.4
17
1.7
20
2.0
9
0.9
5
0.5
9
0.9
4
0.4
2
0.2
4
0.4
1
0.1
1
0.1
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Senators
percent
174
17.4
232
23.2
450
45.0
510
51.1
556
55.7
682
68.3
721
72.2
758
75.9
830
83.1
843
84.4
861
86.2
913
91.4
927
92.8
944
94.5
964
96.5
973
97.4
978
97.9
987
98.8
991
99.2
993
99.4
997
99.8
998
99.9
999
100.0
Table 9. Senate Service: 80th-107th Congresses, 1947-2002
Total no. of
Congresses
served
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
25
Number served
Number of
Percent of total
Senators
Senators
74
14.8
24
4.8
74
14.8
37
7.4
24
4.8
61
12.2
21
4.2
24
4.8
55
11.0
5
1.0
13
2.6
36
7.2
10
2.0
9
1.8
7
1.4
4
0.8
4
0.8
7
1.4
4
0.8
1
0.2
4
0.8
1
0.2
1
0.2
Running totals
Cumulative no. of
Cumulative
Senators
percent
74
14.8
98
19.6
172
34.4
209
41.8
233
46.6
294
58.8
315
63.0
339
67.8
394
78.8
399
79.8
412
82.4
448
89.6
458
91.6
467
93.4
474
94.8
478
95.6
482
96.4
489
97.8
493
98.6
494
98.8
498
99.6
499
99.8
500
100.0
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