List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
Combined U.S. House and Senate time
Table:
Total
tenure
rank
Uninter­rupted
tenure
rank
Name
Party
affiliation
Total
tenure
Uninter­rupted
tenure
Reason
for
leaving
Lifespan

1
1
John Dingell (H)
Democratic
59 years, 21 days
59 years, 21 days
Retired
1926–2019

2
2
Robert Byrd (H, S)
Democratic
57 years, 176 days
57 years, 176 days
Died
1917–2010

3
3
Carl Hayden (H, S)
Democratic
56 years, 319 days
56 years, 319 days
Retired
1877–1972

4
4
Daniel Inouye (H, S)
Democratic
53 years, 118 days
53 years, 118 days
Died
1924–2012

5
5
Jamie Whitten (H)
Democratic
53 years, 60 days
53 years, 60 days
Retired
1910–1995

6
6
John Conyers (H)
Democratic
52 years, 336 days
52 years, 336 days
Resigned
1929–

7
7
Carl Vinson (H)
Democratic
50 years, 61 days
50 years, 61 days
Retired
1883–1981

8
8
Emanuel Celler (H)
Democratic
49 years, 305 days
49 years, 305 days
Lost renomination
1888–1981

9
9
Sam Rayburn (H)
Democratic
48 years, 257 days
48 years, 257 days
Died
1882–1961

10
999
Sidney R. Yates (H, I)
Democratic
48 years, 0 days
N/A
Retired
1909–2000

11
12
Strom Thurmond (S, I)
Democratic,
Republican
47 years, 159 days
46 years, 57 days
Resigned, retired
1902–2003

12
10
Wright Patman (H)
Democratic
47 years, 3 days
47 years, 3 days
Died
1893–1976

13
11
Ted Kennedy (S)
Democratic
46 years, 292 days
46 years, 292 days
Died
1932–2009

14
13
Charles Rangel (H)
Democratic
46 years, 0 days
46 years, 0 days
Retired
1930–

15
999
Joseph Gurney Cannon (H, I)
Republican
46 years, 0 days
N/A
Defeated, defeated, retired
1836–1926

16
14
Don Young (H)
Republican
52 years, 42 days
52 years, 42 days

1933–

17
15
Adolph J. Sabath (H)
Democratic
45 years, 247 days
45 years, 247 days
Died
1866–1952

18
16
J. Lister Hill (H, S)
Democratic
45 years, 142 days
45 years, 142 days
Retired
1894–1984

19
17
Thad Cochran (H, S)
Republican
45 years, 87 days
45 years, 87 days
Resigned
1937–

20
18
Patrick Leahy (S)
Democratic
50 years, 104 days
50 years, 104 days

1940–

21
19
Chuck Grassley (H, S)
Republican
50 years, 104 days
50 years, 104 days

1933–

22
20
George H. Mahon (H)
Democratic
44 years, 0 days
44 years, 0 days
Retired
1900–1985

23
21
Warren Magnuson (H, S)
Democratic
44 years, 0 days
44 years, 0 days
Defeated
1905–1989

24
22
Charles Edward Bennett (H)
Democratic
44 years, 0 days
44 years, 0 days
Retired
1910–2003

25
23
Justin Smith Morrill (H, S)
Whig,
Republican
43 years, 299 days
43 years, 299 days
Died
1810–1898

26
999
William B. Allison (H, S, I)
Republican
43 years, 152 days
N/A
Retired, died
1829–1908

27
24
Charles Melvin Price (H)
Democratic
43 years, 110 days
43 years, 110 days
Died
1905–1988

28
25
Bill Young (H)
Republican
42 years, 288 days
42 years, 288 days
Died
1930–2013

29
26
Henry M. Jackson (H, S)
Democratic
42 years, 241 days
42 years, 241 days
Died
1912–1983

30
999
Carter Glass (H, S, I)
Democratic
42 years, 157 days
N/A
Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, died
1858–1946

31
27
Ed Markey (H, S)
Democratic
48 years, 166 days
48 years, 166 days

1946–

32
28
John William McCormack (H)
Democratic
42 years, 58 days
42 years, 58 days
Retired
1891–1980

33
29
John Sparkman (H, S)
Democratic
42 years, 0 days
42 years, 0 days
Retired
1899–1985

34
30
Jack Brooks (H)
Democratic
42 years, 0 days
42 years, 0 days
Defeated
1922–2012

35
31
Orrin Hatch (S)
Republican
42 years, 0 days
42 years, 0 days
Retired
1934–

36
32
William R. Poage (H)
Democratic
41 years, 362 days
41 years, 362 days
Retired
1899–1987

37
33
Robert L. Doughton (H)
Democratic
41 years, 305 days
41 years, 305 days
Retired
1863–1954

38
34
Joseph William Martin Jr. (H)
Republican
41 years, 305 days
41 years, 305 days
Lost renomination
1884–1968

39
35
Dave Obey (H)
Democratic
41 years, 276 days
41 years, 276 days
Retired
1938–

40
36
Clarence Cannon (H)
Democratic
41 years, 69 days
41 years, 69 days
Retired
1879–1964

41
37
John C. Stennis (S)
Democratic
41 years, 59 days
41 years, 59 days
Retired
1901–1995

42
38
Kenneth McKellar (H, S)
Democratic
41 years, 30 days
41 years, 30 days
Lost renomination
1869–1957

43
39
William Natcher (H)
Democratic
40 years, 240 days
40 years, 240 days
Died
1909–1994

44
999
Claude Pepper (H, S, I)
Democratic
40 years, 207 days
N/A
Lost renomination, died
1900–1989

45
40
William P. Frye (H, S)
Republican
40 years, 157 days
40 years, 157 days
Died
1830–1911

46
41
Richard Shelby (H, S)
Democratic,
Republican
46 years, 104 days
46 years, 104 days

1934–

47
42
Jim Sensenbrenner (H)
Republican
46 years, 104 days
46 years, 104 days

1943–

48
43
Ted Stevens (S)
Republican
40 years, 10 days
40 years, 10 days
Defeated
1923–2010

49
44
Carl Curtis (H, S)
Republican
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
1905–2000

50
45
Peter W. Rodino (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
1909–2005

51
46
Pete Stark (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Defeated
1931–

52
47
Tom Harkin (H, S)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
1939–

53
48
George Miller (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
1945–

54
49
Henry Waxman (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
1939–

55
50
Barbara Mikulski (H, S)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
1936–

56
999
Eugene Hale (H, S, I)
Republican
40 years, 0 days
N/A
Defeated, retired
1836–1918

57
999
Jennings Randolph (H, S, I)
Democratic
39 years, 364 days
N/A
Defeated, retired
1902–1998

58
51
Leslie C. Arends (H)
Republican
39 years, 362 days
39 years, 362 days
Retired
1895–1985

59
52
Daniel A. Reed (H)
Republican
39 years, 352 days
39 years, 352 days
Died
1875–1959

60
53
George William Norris (H, S)
Republican,
Independent
39 years, 305 days
39 years, 305 days
Defeated
1861–1944

61
54
John Taber (H)
Republican
39 years, 305 days
39 years, 305 days
Retired
1880–1965

62
55
William M. Colmer (H)
Democratic
39 years, 305 days
39 years, 305 days
Retired
1890–1980

63
56
Max Baucus (H, S)
Democratic
39 years, 34 days
39 years, 34 days
Appointed Ambassador to China
1941–

64
999
Samuel Smith (H, S, I)
Democratic-Republican,
Democratic
39 years, 9 days
N/A
Retired
1752–1839

65
999
John Little McClellan (H, S, I)
Democratic
38 years, 329 days
N/A
Retired, died
1896–1977

66
57
Morris Sheppard (H, S)
Democratic
38 years, 145 days
38 years, 145 days
Died
1875–1941

67
58
Ron Wyden (H, S)
Democratic
44 years, 104 days
44 years, 104 days

1949–

68
59
Pat Roberts (H, S)
Republican
44 years, 104 days
44 years, 104 days

1936–

69
60
Chuck Schumer (H, S)
Democratic
44 years, 104 days
44 years, 104 days

1950–

70
61
Hal Rogers (H)
Republican
44 years, 104 days
44 years, 104 days

1937–

71
62
Chris Smith (H)
Republican
44 years, 104 days
44 years, 104 days

1953–

72
63
Ernest Hollings (S)
Democratic
38 years, 55 days
38 years, 55 days
Retired
1922–

73
64
Richard Russell Jr. (S)
Democratic
38 years, 9 days
38 years, 9 days
Died
1897–1971

74
999
John Sherman (H, S, I)
Oppositionist,
Republican
38 years, 4 days
N/A
Appointed U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, appointed U.S. Secretary of State
1823–1900

75
65
Russell B. Long (S)
Democratic
38 years, 3 days
38 years, 3 days
Retired
1918–2003

76
66
Frederick H. Gillett (H, S)
Republican
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
1851–1935

77
67
Wilbur Mills (H)
Democratic
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
1909–1992

78
68
Dante Fascell (H)
Democratic
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
1917–1998

79
69
Robert H. Michel (H)
Republican
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
1923–2017

80
70
Nick Rahall (H)
Democratic
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Defeated
1949–

81
999
Robert Crosser (H, I)
Democratic
37 years, 305 days
N/A
Lost renomination
1874–1957

82
999
Robert L. F. Sikes (H, I)
Democratic
37 years, 290 days
N/A
Resigned, retired
1906–1994

83
71
Steny Hoyer (H)
Democratic
43 years, 333 days
43 years, 333 days

1939–

84
72
Nathaniel Macon (H, S)
Anti-Administration,
Democratic-Republican
37 years, 255 days
37 years, 255 days
Resigned
1757–1837

85
73
Henry Cabot Lodge (H, S)
Republican
37 years, 250 days
37 years, 250 days
Died
1850–1924

86
999
Alben W. Barkley (H, S, I)
Democratic
37 years, 74 days
N/A
Elected Vice President of the United States, died
1877–1956

87
74
Henry B. Gonzalez (H)
Democratic
37 years, 60 days
37 years, 60 days
Retired
1916–2000

88
999
Francis E. Warren (S, I)
Republican
37 years, 6 days
N/A
Defeated, died
1844–1929

89
999
James Eastland (S, I)
Democratic
36 years, 83 days
N/A
Resigned
1904–1986

90
75
Dick Durbin (H, S)
Democratic
42 years, 104 days
42 years, 104 days

1944–

91
76
Marcy Kaptur (H)
Democratic
42 years, 104 days
42 years, 104 days

1946–

92
77
Joe Biden (S)
Democratic
36 years, 12 days
36 years, 12 days
Elected Vice President of the United States
1942–

93
78
John Murtha (H)
Democratic
36 years, 3 days
36 years, 3 days
Died
1932–2010

94
79
Henry L. Dawes (H, S)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1816–1903

95
80
Felix Edward Hébert (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1901–1979

96
81
Edward Boland (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1911–2001

97
82
William Broomfield (H)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1922–

98
83
Dan Rostenkowski (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Defeated
1928–2010

99
84
Neal Edward Smith (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Defeated
1920–

100
85
Claiborne Pell (S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1918–2009

101
86
Joseph M. McDade (H)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1931–2017

102
87
Paul Sarbanes (H, S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1933–

103
88
Pete Domenici (S)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1932–2017

104
89
Ralph Regula (H)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1924–2017

105
90
Chris Dodd (H, S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1944–

106
91
Jim Oberstar (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Defeated
1934–2014

107
92
Richard Lugar (S)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Lost renomination
1932–

108
93
Daniel Akaka (H, S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1924–2018

109
94
Norm Dicks (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1940–

110
95
Dale Kildee (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1929–

111
96
Carl Levin (S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1934–

112
97
Sander Levin (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
1931–

113
999
Shelby Moore Cullom (H, S, I)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
N/A
Retired
1829–1914

Based on the data table for 'List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service' (see 'Combined U.S. House and Senate time'), summarise the highlighted cells in a single sentence and provide it inside the JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.