Subject Guides

Uncle Sam
Government Publications Department
Regional Depository Library

Tying It All Together and "Legislative Process Information" from the House of Representatives
These two websites give background information and actual full-text of bills, reports and floor votes among other publications from the official legislation site from the Library of Congress called Thomas .

Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report(U of M only)
Weekly periodical - Readable, up-to-date account of Congressional and political activity. Online from 1983.
Available in print format. Current issues in Learning Commons. Previous issues in GovPubs Periodicals stacks, Row 48.

Congressional Quarterly Almanac
Annual subject cumulation of the CQ Weekly Report. Previous four or five years in Learning Commons. Previous issues in GovPubs periodicals stacks, Row 48.

Congress and the Nation
Cumulative summary of the Congressional Quarterly Almanac, 1945+ GovPubs Reference

CIS Index, Legislative History Volume
Provides legislative histories including hearings, reports, Congressional Record citations and SuDoc numbers for finding the documents in the collection. Excellent comprehensive source. GovPubs Reference

Congressional Digest
Excellent source for discovering pro's and con's on an issue. GovPubs Periodicals

National Journal
Weekly periodical on with information on government agencies; includes major legislative issues. Available full text on Congressional Universe and Periodicals Department, 2nd floor

GPO ACCESS
Use History of Bills database for action and status, 1983+

Congressional Index
Comprehensive source for tracing legislation, legislative histories available in "Status of Bills" section GovPubs Reference 1967+

THOMAS
Summary and status for the 110th Congress. The 93rd Congress, 1973 - 110th Congress, Search by subject, bill number, sponsor and more.

LIST OF COMMON ABBREVIATIONS

        PL 99-14                Public Law, 99th Congress, no. 14
        H. Rpt.                 House Report
        S. Rpt.                 Senate Report
        H.R.                    Bill   (House of Representatives)
        S.                      Bill   (Senate)
        H.J. Res.               Joint Resolution
        H. Con. Res.            Concurrent Resolution
        H. Res.                 Simple Resolution
        H. Doc.                 House Documents
         

BILLS
CONGRESSIONAL UNIVERSE (U of M only)
full text for 1989+
citations from 1789-

GPO ACCESS
Use the Congressional Bills database 1993+.

THOMAS
Best public source for keyword indexing of bills, 101st Congress, 1989/90+ Includes text of all bill versions. Bills are segmented so easy to view.

Top | Bottom

Types of Publications:
Congressional Record is a daily record of floor proceedings.
Hearings are testimony given, pro and con, on a particular bill or issue before a Congressional committee.
Committee Prints are CRS research reports containing background information or an overview. Provided for Congressional committee members.
Reports are recommendations by committees on passage of a bill. Important in legislative histories for intent of law.
Documents are communications from the Executive Branch.

Congressional Record on Thomas
1989-
Historical Congressional Record available in Government Publications.

House Committee Schedules
Schedules for the current week.

Hearings Congressional Universe (U of M only)
1993+ (with some coverage of 1988-93)

House Hearings Individual committees or combinations of committees can be searched by topic.
Senate Hearings Included on individual Senate Committe websites.

House Web Site
One page listing of links to each House Committees' hearings schedules.

Congressional Information Service Index
Indexes all published committee publications, 1968+, by keyword, committee, date, name. Publications shelved in Government Publications Department under their SuDoc number (Y1, Y4, or Y10)

Reports and Documents GPO ACCESS
Reports and documents available from the 104th Congress. Paper copies in the GovPubs Department.

Reports and Documents Thomas
Search House and Senate Reports by keyword, number, bill number,committee or browse, 104th +

Committee Prints Congressional Universe (U of M only) Full text for approximately 15 percent of committee prints from the 104th Congress forward (1995-forward). Prints selected for inclusion based on research value. For abstracts of Prints, search Congressional Universe by subject.

Congressional Research Service (Pennyhill Press)
The CRS of the Library of Congress publishes background papers and information sheets for Congressional committees. This publisher's site indexes these non-depository publications and offers them for sale. GovPubs has a CD-ROM Index to CRS publications and microfilm from 1916-1995.
House of Representatives has a search box which will bring some CRS reports up.
Recent Reports and Issue Briefs, miscellaneous subjects.
CRS Reports House Committee Rules
Reports dealing with House rules
CRS Reports Federation of American Scientists
Scienific reports listed under the various subjects.
CRS Reports Committee for the National Institute for the Environment
Reports on natural resources, environmental quality, including legislative and regulatory reports. Approximately 1100 reports available.

THOMAS
Indexes Congressional Record via keyword, date, and speaker.
101st Congress 1989/90+ and The Congressional Record Index, 103rd +

GPO ACCESS
Indexes Congressional Record by name, bill number, keyword, page number, 1994+ and the Historical CR Index is available from 1983-1999.

Congressional Quarterly Almanac
Floor votes are indexed in back of volume. Most recent years on GovPubs Reference and earlier years in GovPubs Periodicals

CQ Weekly Report(U of M only)
Also print in Government Publications. More current than the Almanac. Floor votes in every issue

Congressional Roll Call
Yearly volume containing votes, 1969- 1992 GovPubs Reference

THOMAS
Indexes Congressional Record via keyword and bill number. Floor votes given in the text

Congressional Universe (U of M only)
Must know bill number to retrieve individual member's vote.

Project Vote Smart
Roll call votes by selected issue.

GPO ACCESS
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Papers. Speeches, press releases, executive orders of the President, 1995+ GovPubs Periodicals for historical print publications

White House
Bush Whitehouse

Public Papers of the President
Includes George H.W. Bush, Clinton, & George W. Bush

Herbert Hoover through George W. Bush. Proclamations, messages to Congress, speeches, statements to the press etc.
Online: University of Michigan
Print: Hoover through Reagan (middle) Row 11; Reagan to present Row 3

Presidential Vetoes
Clerk of the House has vetoes from 1789-1999

Congressional Universe (U of M only)
Public Laws from 1988+

GPO ACCESS
Limit search to Public Law file; search by subject or Public Law number in quotes e.g. "Public Law 104-6"

Public Laws
Statutes at Large contain Public Laws in order of their passage. Statutes and slip laws in Gov Pubs Stacks GS 4.111:

Statutes at Large Congressional Universe (U of M only)
Search by Statutes at Large citation, 1988+

U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News
Monthly pamphlet with the full text of laws; cumulates annually. Government Publications

United States Code Cornell Law School
Search by Popular Names, Code citation (eg 14 USC 1225), United States Code(House)
Subject approach to all laws in force as of January 16,1996. Several keyword search options. Summaries of selected subsequent laws. Text of selected subsequent laws.

United States Code GPO Access
Provides a subject approach to all laws in effect.

>United States Code 1994
Paper copy in Government Publications

Congressional Directory Government Printing Office
Includes, in addition to biographical information about members, committee and subcommittee listings; foreign representatives and consular offices in the U.S.; maps of Congressional districts; state delegations and other reference information. Latest edition in GovPubs Reference, earlier Y4.P93/1

Congressional Pictorial Directory Government Printing Office
Pictures of the President, Vice-President and members of Congress. Print editions in GovPubs Y4.P93/1-10 and Y4.P93/1:1

Congressional Yellow Book
A directory with pictures of members of Congress, their committees, and their key aides. Updated quarterly, this directory includes addresses and telephone numbers; good print source for current information. GovPubs Ref

Congress Today C-Span Online
A Congressional Directory with pictures, key staff, e-mail.

Contacting the Congress
Two sites for contacting Congress and for Web site addresses.

Almanac of American Politics
Published by the National Journal, this standard reference work provides colorful profiles for Representatives and Senators and Governors with information on the people and politics of their districts. Includes a Guide to Votes and Campaign Finance charts.

Congressional Staff Directory
Detailed information on Congressional and Committee staff includes biographies. Information on Congressional members includes useful details such as cities and zip codes included in their districts and maps of districts. Latest edition in Gov Pubs Ref

Send questions/comments/suggestions to Mary Freilich
1/25/08