Wednesday, February 04, 2009
On Wednesday, February 11, Rep. John Dingell Jr. (D-Michigan) will break the record for the longest time served in the House of Representatives: 53 years 61 days. Since it was created in 1789, 10,631 Americans have served in the House of Representatives. Dingell will break the record held by Rep. Jamie Whitten (D-Mississippi), who served from 1941 until 1995.
Dingell, now 82 years old, was only 29 years old when he won a special election to fill the seat in western Detroit vacated by the death of his father, John Dingell Sr., who had represented Michigan’s 15th district himself for 22 years. Father and son Dingell have represented southeastern Michigan since Franklin D. Roosevelt started his first term as president 76 years ago.
At the beginning of each Congress, Dingell introduces the same national health insurance system bill that was first proposed by his father.
The record for the longest time served in Congress is held by Carl Hayden (D-Arizona), who served in the House of Representatives for 15 years and in the Senate for another 41 years 10 months. Hayden’s total, from 1912 through 1969, was 56 years 10 months 28 days.
Dingell to Become Longest-Serving Member Next Week (by Aaron Blake, The Hill)
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