LibKey Nomad
Research Librarian
Major Sources
Congress.gov
Website for Congress. Includes roll call votes, legislation, Congressional Record, and more going back to the early to mid-1990s.
Congressional Record
There are a number of ways to locate the Congressional Record.
The records of Congressional debate have been published under multiple names. The Congressional Record can be accessed through ProQuest Congressional Publications or in the library collections. Recent editions are available directly from www.congress.gov. Early records are digitized by the American Memory Project and accessible via the hyperlinks below.
- Annals of Congress (aka Debates & Proceedings of Congress): 1st - 18th (1789 - 1824)
- Register of Debates of Congress: 18th - 25th (1824 - 1837)
- Congressional Globe: 23rd - 42nd (1833 - 1873)
- Congressional Record: 42nd - present (1873 - present)
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An Overview of the Congressional Record and Its Predecessor Publications: A Research Guideby Richard J. McKinney, Assistant Law Librarian, Federal Reserve Board Law Library, Last revised in October, 2011
- Congressional Publications This link opens in a new windowFull-text US Congressional documents, bills, and hearings; public laws and legislative histories; and information on committees and members of Congress. Coverage extends back to the Ninety-First Congress, 1969-present.
Other Sources
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House of Representatives Election Results1920 - 2010.
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Public and Private Laws1995 - present
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Roll Call Votes1989 - present. Also available via Proquest Congressional.
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U.S. CodeConsolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States.
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Library of CongressThe country's preeminent research library. Find many digitized collections here, including the American Memory Project.
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CQ Weekly
A weekly magazine covering what is happening in Congress. Excellent resource for helping to track legislation by topic or member.
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Open SecretsFrom the Center for Responsive Politics, this site allows you to track campaign contributions from many different angles.
Research Help
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How to Trace Federal Legislation - A Research GuideHelp from the Library of Congress in tracing a code back to legislation.
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CRS Report - Legislative HistoryA report from the Congressional Research Service about tracing legislation and how a bill becomes a law.
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CRS Report - Legislative History Research: A Basic GuideAnother more recent report from CRS on tracing legislation and the legislative process in general.
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Finding or Compiling Federal Legislative Histories Electronicallyby Richard J. McKinney, Assistant Law Librarian, Federal Reserve Board, 2013