Subject Guides
Federal Government
Guide Contents
Table of contents:
Key Databases
- Congress.govBills and Resolutions, Congressional Record, Committee Reports, House Committee Live Streams, Presidential Nominations, and Treaties. (Replaces Thomas.gov)
- ProQuest CongressionalAccess to legislative publications including Congressional Hearings (parts A-D), U.S. Bills and Resolutions (2014-2018), laws, reports, documents, prints, the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and member and committee information.
- GovInfoSearch and retrieve official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government. Includes Code of Federal Regulations, Bills and Laws, Congressional publications, Presidential Papers, U.S. Code, court opinions, and more.
Analysis and news
- CQ MagazineCoverage 1983-present | Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report (Bartle Ref JK 1 .C67), 1960-1982. Provides issue-based reports focused on legislation and hot topics in Congress. Provides background information, current news, information on major figures, and statistics.
- CQ ResearcherCoverage 1991-present | Congressional Quarterly Almanac (Bartle Ref JK 1 .C66), 1945-2006 Summaries of Congressional activities, status of major legislation, lists of recently-passed laws, and analyses of important legislative issues. Useful for tracking complex legislation or researching the political background of legislation.
- The Hill"Our editorial viewpoint is nonpartisan and non ideological.... The Hill reports and analyzes the actions of Congress as it struggles to reconcile the needs of those it represents with the legitimate needs of the administration, lobbyists and the news media."
- Roll CallNews and information about Congress from the publisher of "the newspaper of Capitol Hill." Includes news scoops, policy briefings, politics, commentary, and more.
Members
Official Congressional Directory (Bartle JK 1011, 1916 -present; online from 1995-)
Biographies of members, committee assignments, congressional district maps, directory of other federal and international agencies, etc.
Congressional Staff Directory (Bartle JK 1012 .C65), 1965- 2002
Biographies of members and their staffs, Capitol Hill organizations, congressional district maps, 14,000 counties and cities with their districts and members.
Biographical Directory of the United States Senate (Congress.gov), 1774-present
Official biographies.
Women in Congress (House.gov), 1917-present
Brief biographic information on all women who have served in Congress.
ProQuest Congressional 
1989-present
(Go to ProQuest Congressional > Members and Committees)
Search for information about Congressional members by name, demographic information, or committee served. Provides official biographical information, as well as voting histories, campaign financial information, and floor statements.
US. House of Representatives Member web pages (House.gov)
Index of web sites for all current members.
U.S. Senator home pages (Senate.gov)
Index of web sites for all current members.
Project Vote Smart
Member biographical and contact information, voting records, issue positions, interest group ratings, public statements, campaign finances.
Proceedings
The House and the Senate record the minutes of floor action in their Journals, which provides the reader a snapshot of what actions were taken and matters considered.
The Journals serve as official record of the official proceedings of the Congress, but does not record debate or laws themselves (see the Congressional Debate section and Legislation pages) or matters of secrecy.
Senate Journal
- 1789-1875 (American Memory)
House Journal
Debates
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. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873, and is still published today. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873). The full text of the Congressional Record and its preceding titles can be accessed through Proquest Congressional. GPO provides access to the Congressional Record from 1994 to the present.
Sources for earlier congressional proceedings:
Journals of the Continental Congress (American Memory Project)
Journals from the first and second Continental Congresses (1784-1789)
1787-1789 - Inter-Congressional Period
Debates and proceedings reflecting discussions regarding the restructuring of the government between the Continental Congress and the Federal Congress.
- Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution/Elliots' Debates (American Memory Project)
- The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787/ Farrand's Records (American Memory Project)
- Federalist Papers (Congress.gov)
