With Scott's death, 5 members of current Congress have died in office

Politics With Rep. David Scott's death, 5 members of 119th Congress have died in office By Kathryn Watson, Kathryn Watson Politics Reporter Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kathryn Watson, Caitlin Yilek Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation. Read Full Bio Caitlin Yilek April 22, 2026 / 3:14 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — Democratic Rep. David Scott, who represented Georgia in the House for more than two decades, has become the fifth member of the 119th Congress to die in office. He was 80.All five members who died since the start of the current Congress in January 2025 were between the ages of 65 and 87.The deaths come against the backdrop of a narrow House GOP majority, where just one or two absences, vacancies or defections can play a role in whether legislation passes. Scott's death means Democrats now have 212 seats, compared to 218 for Republicans, including one GOP-leaning independent. During the 118th Congress, four members died in office, all between the ages of 65 and 90. The eldest was the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, whose determination to remain in office despite her evident decline frustrated many Democrats. When the 119th Congress began in January 2025, 117 House and Senate members were over the age of 70, according to the Pew Research Center, and 19 were over 80.These are the members who have died in office during the 119th Congress:Rep. David Scott, 80 Rep. David Scott of Georgia speaks during a House Agriculture Committee hearing titled The Future of Digital Assets in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Ting Shen / Bloomberg via Getty Images Scott, who represented the Atlan...