The Congressional Research Service provides nonpartisan information to members and committees of Congress to aid in decision-making. It was established in 1914 and renamed in 1970 with a focus on analysis and research related to lawmaking. Reports prioritize confidentiality, timeliness, accuracy, objectivity, and balance, and do not include policy recommendations. Reports are not publicly available, but can be requested through a member of Congress.
The Congressional Research Service is a nonpartisan agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides information on current or growing issues of national interest to members and committees of Congress. Armed with detailed, accurate, and objective information, lawmakers are better equipped to make rational decisions with the best chance of success. Information provided by the Congressional Research Service is used at every stage of legislation, starting with the initial conceptual stage that precedes the first draft of a bill, through hearings and debates, and also during the oversight and analysis of existing legislation.
In 1914, two Wisconsin congressmen, Senator Robert LaFollette and Representative John M. Nelson, proposed legislation calling on a research branch of the Library of Congress to provide information requested by members of Congress. This proposal built on the successes of similar initiatives by the state libraries in New York and Wisconsin. Under the Legislative Reorganization Act, 1946, this branch was called the Legislative Reference Service and was charged with fact-checking, researching and analyzing documents and publications created by government organizations and the private sector.
With the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, the Legislative Reference Service was renamed the Congressional Research Service. A shift in emphasis has come with the name. Under the law, emphasis has been placed on analysis and research directly related to the lawmaking process. The act also required high levels of cooperation with the Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office.
Congressional Research Service reports are produced with a number of fundamental principles in mind. These principles (confidentiality, timeliness, accuracy, objectivity and balance) ensure that reports are reliable sources of information, not biased tools. Policy recommendations are not included in these reports and every effort is made to stay on top of party politics. For example, under normal circumstances, Congressional Research Service resources are not used to investigate current or former members of Congress.
Despite repeated calls for so-called “laws of the sun” over the years, the reports produced by the Congressional Research Service are not openly available to the public. Members of the public interested in reading one of these reports usually need to submit a request to a member of Congress for that specific report. In some cases, previously released reports may be available from another source, such as for sale by a private seller or as an online publication. Many reports contain confidential information and are not available to the general public.
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