Number: RL34347
Title: Members of Congress Who Die in Office: Historic and Current Practices
Authors: R. Eric Petersen, Government and Finance Division; Jennifer Manning, Knowledge Services Group 
Abstract: Since 1987, 45 Members of Congress - 37 Representatives, and eight Senators - have died in office. When a sitting Member dies, the House and Senate carry out a number of actions based on chamber rules, statutes, and longstanding practices. Some observances, such as adjourning briefly as a mark of respect to the deceased, appointing Member delegations to attend funerals of deceased colleagues, or paying the costs of a funeral from public funds, were initially observed in the earliest Congresses, or predate the national legislature established under the Constitution. It appears that contemporary congressional response to the death of a sitting Member is affected by a number of external factors including the following: circumstances of the Member's death, preferences of the deceased Member or the Member's family regarding funeral services, whether Congress is in session when the Member dies, pending congressional business at the time of the Member's death, and events external to Congress at the time.
Pages: 19
Date: September 12, 2008