Membership of the 107th Congress: A Profile

Publication Date: August 2002

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 107th Congress. Included is information on numbers of Members, party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupations, religious affiliation, military service, female and minority Members, and foreign-born Members.

Currently, in the House, there are 223 Republicans, 210 Democrats, and one Independent who is aligned with Democrats. The Senate has 50 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and one Independent who is aligned with the Democrats.

The average age of Representatives is 54.4; of Senators, 59.8 An overwhelming majority of Members have a college education. The dominant profession of Members continues to be law, followed by business.

Protestants collectively constitute the majority religious affiliation of Members. Roman Catholics account for the largest single religious denomination, and there are numerous other affiliations represented.

The average length of service in the House is nearly 9 years; in the Senate, nearly 11½ years.

A record number of women serve in the 107th Congress. There are 75 female Members: 62 in the House, 13 in the Senate. There are 21 Hispanic Members, all in the House, including two Delegates--one from Guam and the other from Puerto Rico. There are 39 black Members, all in the House, and including two Delegates. Nine Members are Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islanders. There are three Native Americans.

For background information on earlier Congresses, please refer to CRS Report RL30378, Black Members of the United States Congress: 1789-2001; CRS Report RL30261, Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2001; and CRS Report 97-398, Asian Pacific Americans in the United States Congress. This report will be revised at the commencement of the 108th Congress unless significant changes occur in the 107th Congress.