WASHINGTON — Congressional correspondent Dave McConnell is celebrating a golden year with 50 years at WTOP, much of which he’s spent covering what he calls “the world’s greatest deliberative body.”
On Tuesday, members of that body gathered to honor McConnell’s achievements at a special luncheon at the Capitol.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner gave the opening remarks, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered his congratulations, saying, “We McConnells know something about longevity.”
The big surprise came when Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton entered McConnell’s achievement into the official Congressional Record, presenting him with a plaque of the text.
Other lawmakers offered their congratulations in a video:
WTOP General Manager Joel Oxley and other station staff members also toasted McConnell’s milestone, presenting him with a crystal microphone.
McConnell joined the station in 1965, when it was still airing on 1500 AM. He began covering Congress in 1981.