Sen. Dianne Feinstein was the oldest member of Congress at the time of her death Thursday night at age 90, but not by very much.
Several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are well into their 80s — or even older in the case of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who turned 90 himself earlier this month.
According to a Pew Research study published in January, the median age of the current crop of senators is 65.3, while the House of Representatives median age is 57.9.
Despite these comparatively low averages, 14 lawmakers aged 80 or older currently serve in Congress. Some, like Feinstein, have suffered health scares, prompting debate about how old is too old to serve.
Below are the 10 oldest members of Congress.
Following Feinstein’s death, Grassley now holds the distinction of being the oldest sitting member of Congress. He was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1959, where he served eight terms before being elected to the US House in 1975. Grassley assumed his current role in the Senate in 1981, and is the longest-serving GOP senator in US history, surpassing the late Orrin Hatch’s record in January 2023. That same month, Grassley underwent surgery after injuring his hip.
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), who will turn 87 in December, is the oldest member of the House of Representatives. She assumed her office in 1999, and announced she would not seek re-election at the end of her current term, which ends in January 2025. In 2016, Rep. Napolitano suffered a minor hemorragic stroke during a campaign stop, which sidelined her for two months.
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) has represented the nation’s capital as a non-voting delegate in Congress since 1991. She’s been a vocal advocate of DC statehood over her career, and recently told Axios she would “absolutely” be seeking an 18th term in 2024.
Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) has served in the House since 1997, following a 10-year stint as a member of the Garden State’s General Assembly. Pascrell, who will turn 87 in January, told a St. Patrick’s Day event crowd earlier this year there was “no question” he would be seeking a 15th term in 2024.
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) is the current Dean of the House of Representatives, where he’s held office since 1981, making him the chamber’s longest continuously serving member. In 2016, Rep. Rogers became the longest-serving Kentucky Republican ever to be elected to federal office, serving 22 consecutive terms. Rep. Rogers has declared his candidacy for the Republican primary in his district, to be held in May 2024.
Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has served in the House since 1991. Prior to her current role, Rep. Waters served seven terms in the California State Assembly, where she was first elected in 1976. Now in her 17th congressional term, she is the ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee — and has announced her candidacy for an 18th term in her deep-blue district.
Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has also been in the House since 1981. Before that, he served in the Maryland State Senate from 1966-1979. The Democrat has twice held the position of House majority leader (2007-2011; 2019-2023), and twice been House minority whip (2003-2007; 2011-2019). When asked in January if he would seek re-election next year, he didn’t rule it out, telling CNN’s Dana Bash: “I may. I may.”
James Clyburn (D-SC) is the assistant Democratic leader in the House after serving as majority whip between 2007-2011 and again between 2019-2023. Clyburn has declared he will seek a 17th term in 2024.
Pelosi (D-Calif.) was first elected to Congress in 1987. She is the first woman ever elected speaker of the House, serving in the role between 2007-2011 and again between 2019-2023. She headed up the House Democratic Caucus for nearly 20 years before ceding that role in January to Hakeem Jeffries, 30 years her junior. Pelosi said in September she will be running for re-election in 2024.
Sanders (I-Vt.), who sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 and 2020, has served in Congress since 1990. He started out in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2006. The self-described democratic socialist is considered by many to be the leader of the progressive movement in the US In 2019, Sanders was released from a Las Vegas hospital following a heart attack.