Research Guides: Government Documents: Congressional Information

U.S. Senate & House of Representatives

Congressional Directories

Congressional Directory
The official directory of the U.S. Congress is prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). Published since 1888, the Congressional Directory presents short biographies of each member of the Senate and House, listed by state or district, and additional data, such as committee memberships, terms of service, administrative assistants and/or secretaries, and room and telephone numbers. It also lists officials of the courts, military establishments, and other Federal departments and agencies.
Congressional Pictorial Directory
Published biennially by the Joint Committee on Printing of the U.S. Congress, the Congressional Pictorial Directory provides a color photograph of each member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It also includes information about a Member of Congress' length of service, political party affiliations, and Congressional district. Also contains pictures of the President, Vice President, and House and Senate officers and officials.

Congress.gov

Congress.gov
CONGRESS.GOV provides free, fact-based legislative information. It was developed by the Library of Congress in collaboration with the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives and the Government Printing Office.

Congressional Documents

Congressional Bills: Main Page
Contains all published versions of bills from the 103rd (1993-1994) Congress forward.
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. GPO Access contains Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities.

The current year’s Congressional Record database is usually updated daily by 11 a.m.
Congressional Hearings
A hearing is a meeting or session of a Senate, House, Joint, or Special Committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to obtain information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or evaluate/oversee the activities of a government department or the implementation of a Federal law. In addition, hearings may also be purely exploratory in nature, providing testimony and data about topics of current interest.
Annals of Congress (1789 - 1824)
Annals of Congress (1789 - 1824) formally known as The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States, they cover the 1st Congress through the first session of the 18th Congress.
United States Code
The United States Code is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States. It is divided by broad subjects into 50 titles.
Statutes at Large
This is a permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress.
Register of Debates (1824 - 1837)
Register of Debates (1824 - 1837) a record of the congressional debates of the 18th Congress, 2nd Session through the 25th Congress, 1st Session.
Congressional Globe (1833 - 1873)
Congressional Globe (1833 - 1873) contains the congressional debates of the 23rd through 42nd Congresses .
A Century of Law Making
Provides online access to the records and acts of Congress from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention through the 43rd Congress, including the first three volumes of the Congressional Record, 1873-75. Also contains links to related resources.

CQ Researcher

If you are looking for in depth background information on a "hot" issue in the news, you may wish to explore CQ Researcher. Recent topics include Climate Change, Regulating Toxic Chemicals, Freedom of the Press, Online Privacy, Protecting Wetlands, Human Rights Issues and Carbon Trading.

Open CRS

Provides access to reports generated by the Congressional Research Service, a "think tank" that provides reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events.

CRS Archive

Vital Statistics on Congress

Vital Statistics on Congress
A go-to reference guide for Congressional watchers for impartial data on Congress and its members.

Congressional Timeline

Congressional Timeline

Try this tool: Go to the site and select the 88th Congress from the drop-down menu on the right. Click the "expand" button under 1963 to see general information about the 88th Congress. To experience the multimedia potential for the site, click the "collapse" button for 1963 and then the "expand" button for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 at July 2, 1964. Look at the rotating cube! You will see additional content documents, photos, and a video of the presidential signing ceremony.