7 Longest Serving Current Members of Congress

Some of the most influential founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison, strongly favored congressional term limits. Flash forward to the 21st century, and those founders would be astounded at the amount of time some current representatives have been in Congress. Some critics of the current system advocate term limits, but even they acknowledge the potential risks. With term limits, members of Congress would not have to fear the wrath of voters, which could make them prone to questionable behavior. Also, term limits could dramatically increase the influence of career bureaucrats. But all that's an argument for another day. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), who entered Congress in January 1973, is currently the politician with the longest tenure, but he's retiring April 1 due to ill health. Here's how the other longtime members of Congress stack up in terms of longevity.