Fifteen still in Congress for at least 37 years, so far!

The longest serving members of the U.S. Congress –both Democrats and Republicans—prove by their voting records that the longer they’re in there, the further from the people they drift.  I flinch when I see the reference to “serving” because it implies that they serve the people by honoring the rule of law and keeping their oaths of office. A study of their records shows that, by far, most of them tend to serve themselves, --first, by making getting reelected Job One. Many have become very rich in office. Harry Truman said, “You can’t get rich in politics unless you’re a crook.”

They’re not all bad guys. But most have long since offered innovative ideas or examined long-outdated programs and damn few have tried to limit spending. Hence, our $20 trillion --and growing! -- national debt. This criticism applies to the hundreds who have been in Congress for too many years in addition to these old boys.

National Taxpayers Union (NTU) is the non-partisan Voice of America's Taxpayers. NTU mobilizes elected officials and the general public on behalf of tax relief and reform, lower and less wasteful spending, individual liberty, and free enterprise. It rates individual members of Congress by their voting records. We’ll use their ratings to some extent help understand each of those referenced here.  

  The late Sen. Robert Byrd (D- WV), a former Ku Klux Klan leader, holds the record in the Senate at 57.5 years, he retired in 2010. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) beat that record –he was At The Trough since 1955! –a total of 59 years!

--Connect to the links indicated by the blue letters for details on the members for whom we have produced posters. –

Those still in Congress with exceptionally long tenure are:

In office for 53 years is Rep. John Conyers NTU: Big Spender (D-MI) currently in the news for sexual harassment.  He’ll not be running again in 2008.

Sen. Thad Cochran NTU:C (R-MS) has been in Congress for 45 years as has Rep. Don Young NTU: B-  (R-AK)

Sen. Patrick Leahy NTU:F Big Spender  (D-VT) and Sen. Chuck Grassley NTU:B (R-IA) are at 43 years and counting.  Grassley doesn’t have the worst overall record, but he has insured his reelections by becoming the “Godfather of the Corn Ethanol Lobby” by pandering to farmers with the costly law mandating the addition of ethanol to gasoline. 

Rep. Ed Markey NTU: D Poor (D-MA) and Sen. Orin Hatch  NTU: C (R-UT) 41 years and still spending like mad. All but one of the career pols mentioned here have contributed more than their share to grow the national debt.

The exception in this 37+-years group that proves the rule is our one  NTU: A  Taxpayers’ Friend, James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI)  who has served 39 years, so far. Also, still in there at 39 years and counting is Sen. Richard Shelby NTU: C+ (R-AL). 

Several are still in there after 37 years in Congress:  Of these, all Democrats, are rated “F” by NTU, Big Spenders, all. They are Sen. Ron. Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD). 

 Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers NTU: B (R-KY), Sen. Pat Roberts  NTU: B  (R-KS), and Rep. Chris Smith NTU: C+ (R-NJ)  are all at about 37 years, so far. 

We’ve highlighted 15 of the top 110 who are still at the trough for more than 36 years as of this date and we’ll feature more of them in future posters. Interestingly, only nine of the entire 110 were defeated in a general election.  Yet, some people wonder why we need term limits.  On average, 95% of incumbents are reelected because of the advantages of incumbency with its name recognition and the massive amounts of money that lobbyists bestow on their “honest politicians.”  BTW, they define their honest pols as those who, once bought, stay bought.  

Most begin their “service” with good intentions and reasonable-sounding promises of spending restraint but the longer they’re in there the more they accede to their political party leadership and their supporting lobbyists’ demands for special interest favors and government spending on their behalf.

For the list of the 110 of those with the longest tenure in Congress, go here. You’ll find more interesting historical data on them.

As you would expect, all the Republicans are more taxpayer-friendly than the Democrats but, except for Sensenbrenner, they, too, have room for improvement. 

Request of my readers:  please send me the names of congress-critters you’d like to see profiled here as a poster child.  You’re welcome to write the piece which I’ll work over with you for publication.  -Thanks, -Geo.

For Balanced Budgets and Greater Debt Limits. Really.

In 1976, Orrin Hatch made term limits a central part of his Senatorial campaign against popular Democrat Frank Moss, a three-term incumbent. Ironically in retrospect, Hatch criticized Moss' 18-year tenure in the Senate, asking "What do you call a Senator who's served in office for 18 years? You call him home."  Hatch argued that many Senators, including Moss, being in office for so long lost touch with their constituents. His hypocritical stance on term limits is a familiar part of the state's political folklore. Hatch’s forty-year incumbency proves the point as his record clearly shows.

A quick look at the current Heritage Action Scorecard shows Hatch with a score of 33% while the five others in the Utah delegation average 80%.  The power of incumbency is in name recognition and money –the latter from special interest lobbies. So we agree with Sen. Hatch on this: after 18 years he should have been called home. (Altho we would suggest 12 years max for the Senate.)

Looking at the Heritage Action bills scored in the current report we see a microcosm of lobby influence and career politicians’ tendency to “go along to get along” with leadership.   Please look at the Hatch’s votes on these key issues several of which were sponsored by Sen. Lee (1^st term Sen. From Utah with 100% score on Heritage Action) –you’ll be surprised as would most Utahns.  Take a minute to look at the bills to see where you would have voted. Click on the bill summary for more detail.

Orrin Hatch didn’t start his political career with such a big government, huge deficit voting record but, as with virtually all of our Poster Children, he drifted left to please those who could help him get reelected. Getting reelected is Job One for career politicians.  Did you notice his recent vote to increase the debt limit again by over a $trillion? This from the sponsor of a Balanced Budget Amendment --17 times! Knowing it wouldn’t pass anytime soon such a position is good for bragging rights among conservatives in Utah but doesn’t upset the special interests.

FreedomWorks disputed Sen. Hatch’s claim to be “one of the greatest conservatives in the history of this country,” --as he votes for Wall Street bailouts and serial increases in the national debt; loads bills with expensive earmarks and supports an individual health care mandate.

He has even drifted on the social issues. As a Mormon one would expect he would oppose abortion as his church teaches. Did you see his current vote to continue to fund Planned Parenthood at least until December 11^th during which time they will commit about 70,000 abortions and at taxpayer expense?  Hatch once would rally conservative Christians and Mormons to the Republican Party, most notably on the right to life platform which he had supported for 35 years. Tenure corrupts.

Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayer Union have ranked Sen. Hatch rather highly over his tenure and The Club for Growth did as well until recent years. Early on he was known for limited government values but later has taken an active role in expanding fedgov -- he voted 16 different times to raise the debt ceiling by a grand total of $7.5 trillion. He also voted for the TARP bailout.

Tenure in the District of Corruption does indeed corrupt even those starting out with the best intentions.

Not only has Orrin Hatch refused to follow his own wisdom that Washington should be run by citizen-legislators, not career politicians, but he--as chair of the Judiciary Committee--has been a major opponent of federally legislated term limits, according to the Cato Institute.

He won't be running again –he’s 81—let him serve as an example of why we must always watch even the best newly elected politicians and hold them to their oath of office.  

Term limits are essential to returning our country to limited government.  U.S. Term Limits has a new plan to force a congressional term limit amendment vote by the states. It is known as the Article 5 Process and is contained in the US Constitution.

Check it out at this one-minute video by an infamous lobbyist: Jack Abramoff