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On Holiday

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) celebrated his birthday Sunday — something he officially gets to do only every four years. He is the only current Member of Congress born on Feb. 29. That got Roll Call wondering about Members born on other milestone days, so we combed through the data to determine who will share their birthdays with holidays this year.

JANUARY
Not only does January tie with July for the second most Congressional birthdays — 53 — it also features the single day that the most Members call their birthday, Jan. 10. No Member shares his or her birthday with either Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday — Jan. 15 — or the day set aside to honor him this year — Jan. 19.

Jan. 1, New Year’s Day
Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) — 1942
Rep. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) —1954

Jan. 10, seven Congressional birthdays — the most of the year
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) — 1963
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) — 1950
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) — 1934
Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) — 1938
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) — 1960
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) — 1959
Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) —1957

FEBRUARY
February boasts the highest number of Senate birthdays of the year — 14. And several Members can proudly say they were born on the same day as two of America’s greatest presidents, though we’re not sure that will have any bearing on their future political careers. Overall, 44 Members were born in February.

Feb. 12, Lincoln’s birthday
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) — 1930

Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) — 1947
Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) — 1961
Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) — 1945
Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) — 1949

Feb. 22, Washington’s birthday
Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) — 1952
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) — 1932

MARCH
Thirty-four Members were born in March, but none shares a day with St. Patrick.

APRIL
One Member was born on April Fools’ Day (no joke), and two — one Republican and one Democrat — were born on tax day, April 15. But the month as a whole isn’t too significant for its Congressional birthdays. Only 33 Members were born in April — the least of any month.

April 1, April Fools’ Day
Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.) — 1957

April 4, Palm Sunday
Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) —1932

April 6, Passover
Rep. Ed Schrock (R-Va.) — 1941

April 15, tax day
Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) — 1941
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) — 1946

April 22, Earth Day
Rep. James Langevin (D-R.I.) —1964

MAY
April showers bring May flowers, but it was another month responsible for bringing the 44 Members born in May.

May 5, Cinco de Mayo
Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-Texas) —1945

May 9, Mother’s Day
Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) — 1953

May 31, Memorial Day
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) — 1948
Del. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) — 1933

JUNE
Three Members share their birthday with the day set aside to honor America’s flag. June is also the month when the most Members share their birthdays over two days: June 27 and June 28. Overall, 49 Members were born in June.

June 14, Flag Day
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) — 1939
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) — 1943
Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) — 1943

June 20, Father’s Day
Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.) — 1956
Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) — 1955

June 27 and 28
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), June 28, 1934
Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), June 27, 1941
Rep. Jim Nussle (R-Iowa), June 27, 1960
Rep. Doug Ose (R-Calif.), June 27, 1955
Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), June 27, 1946
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), June 28, 1945
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), June 28, 1942
Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.), June 28, 1936
Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.), June 28, 1943

JULY
America’s month of independence ties with January for having the second most Members’ birthdays — 53. Only one Member can say he was born on July 4, and no one shares a birthday with President Bush, July 6. As for this year’s Democratic National Convention, six Members will mark their birthdays during the convention — four Republicans and two Democrats.

July 4
Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) — 1941

AUGUST
There’s usually not too much to celebrate in Washington in August except some time off. Only 34 Members were born in August, second only to April for boasting the fewest Members’ birthdays. Only two Senators were born in August, the least of any month. Four Members — three Republicans, two Democrats — will celebrate their birthdays during the Republican National Convention, which begins Aug. 30.

SEPTEMBER
September is the ninth month of the year — an apparently fitting number when Congressional birthdays are taken into account. A whopping 58 Members were born in September — the most of any month — including two born on Sept. 11.

Sept. 6, Labor Day
Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) — 1941
Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) — 1947
Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) — 1931
Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) — 1966

Sept. 11
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) — 1924
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) — 1952

Sept. 16, Rosh Hashanah
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) — 1950
Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) — 1929
Rep. Mike McNulty (D-N.Y.) — 1947

Sept. 25, Yom Kippur
Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) —1949
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) — 1961
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) — 1953

OCTOBER
Adjournment, anyone? Forty-eight Members were born during the first full month of autumn. But here’s a good omen: Not a single legislator was born on Halloween.

Oct. 11, Columbus Day
Rep. Jim Davis (D-Fla.) — 1957
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) — 1930

November
No Member will have to worry about an election loss coming on his or her birthday — no birthdays fall on Election Day this year. But 47 Members were born in November.

Nov. 11, Veterans Day
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — 1940
Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) — 1946
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) — 1963
Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) — 1931

DECEMBER
Forty-two Members were born in December, but only one arrived on Christmas.

Dec. 8, Hanukkah begins
Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.) — 1941

Dec. 24, Christmas Eve
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) — 1946

Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) — 1949

Dec. 25, Christmas
Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.) —1938

Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) — 1962
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) — 1937

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