The Legislative Branch
The Legislative Branch is comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate. For more information about laws and legal resources, try the Laws tab of this guide.
State Legislatures
Congress.gov also provides information about the State Legislature of each state and territory. Click on your state here to find more information about lawmakers and issues.
Primary Sites
Helpful Sites
- Congress.gov - covers both houses of congress
- The United State Senate
- Activities of the Senate (daily)
- The United States House of Representatives
- Activities of the House (daily)
- GovTrack - a third-party website which helps users track legislation from its creation
Main Publications
- The Congressional Record - the official transcript of debates of the House and the Senate.
- Congressional Documents (from GovInfo, back to 1995)
- Committee Reports to Congress (from Congress.gov, back to 1995)
Other Resources
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new windowFull-text archive of the Congressional Record, Annals of Congress, the Register of Debates, and the Congressional Globe. Coverage: 1789 - present.
- Congressional Budget OfficeSince 1975, CBO has produced independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency’s economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation. CBO is strictly nonpartisan; conducts objective, impartial analysis; and hires its employees solely on the basis of professional competence without regard to political affiliation. CBO does not make policy recommendations, and each report and cost estimate summarizes the methodology underlying the analysis.
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) ReportsThe CRS, a component of the Library of Congress, conducts nonpartisan research and analysis for Congress on a broad range of issues of national policy. As of 2018, these reports are all freely available to the public.
- Regulations.govRegulations.gov is your source for information on the development of Federal regulations and other related documents issued by the U.S. government. Through this site, you can find, read, and comment on regulatory issues that are important to you.
- U.S. Government Accountability OfficeThe U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. The head of GAO, the Comptroller General of the United States, is appointed to a 15-year term by the President from a slate of candidates Congress proposes.
