Death of Don Young, the Oldest Serving Member of the U.S. Congress

Representative Don Young of the U.S. House of Representatives
[Photo by AP]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Don Young, a U.S. Congressman (Republican·Alaska) who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly half a century, passed away at the age of 88 on the night of the 18th (local time), according to the New York Times (NYT) on the 19th.

Congressman Young died while returning to his hometown of Alaska with his wife, Anne Young, on that day.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1973 during President Richard Nixon's administration and served for 49 years, holding the record for the longest-serving Republican member.

Across the entire House, the longest-serving record is held by the late John Dingell, a Democrat who served as a Michigan representative for 59 years.

In a 2020 interview with the NYT, when asked how long he would continue serving as a congressman, Young replied, "If not God, then the voters will decide."

As the sole representative of Alaska, he was sometimes called "Alaska's third senator." While Senate seats are allocated two per state, House seats are determined by population, and Alaska has only one House seat due to its relatively small number of voters.

Young was also the oldest serving member across both the House and Senate and served as the Dean of the House, a position held by the longest-serving member.

The NYT evaluated, "Although Congressman Young represented a relatively small district, he wielded significant influence in Washington and built a strong image as a pioneer."

He maintained a stance opposing environmental protection advocates while defending Alaska's oil, mineral, and logging industries, and he endured several allegations related to ethics.

Holding powerful leadership positions on the House Natural Resources Committee and the Transportation Infrastructure Committee, he used these roles to allocate funding for the construction of highways, bridges, oil pipelines, and gas pipelines.

Additionally, he collaborated with the other two senators from the same district to build roads in national parks, lay pipelines, restrict land purchases in conservation areas, and promote legislation and regulations that limited the impact of endangered species protection rules.

President Joe Biden expressed condolences in a statement that day, saying, "Congressman Young drew special attention but always focused on the daily lives of Alaskan residents," and added, "His legacy will survive through the infrastructure projects he led across Alaska and the protection of indigenous tribes he advocated for."

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