sentences:  Five members of the U.S. Senate have been of Middle Eastern descent, all five with Arab American ancestry and four of Lebanese descent.James Abourezk, who served from 1973 to 1979, became the first Lebanese American Senator.George Mitchell (served 1980-95), who is half Lebanese, became the first Middle Eastern American party leader, as he served as Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995.