Congressional Resources in CRS Research Centers and the La Follette Congressional Reading Room

Congressional Resources in CRS Research
Centers and the La Follette Congressional
Reading Room
January 23, 2007
Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch
Knowledge Services Group



Congressional Resources in CRS Research Centers
and the La Follette Congressional Reading Room
Summary
Congressional staff and interns seeking quick facts, legislative information,
Congressional Research Service (CRS) publications, and reference and research
assistance may come in person to CRS facilities located in Library of Congress and
in House and Senate office buildings. These include the Senate Research Center
(SRC) in Russell B-07, the Rayburn Research Center (RRC) in Rayburn B-355, and
the La Follette Congressional Reading Room (LCRR) in the Madison building LM-

202 and LM-204. The LCRR and research centers provide access to CRS products;


Internet and online sources, including the CRS website and the Legislative
Information Service; magazine and newspaper collections and indexing tools; a
variety of standard reference books; and legislative and public policy materials useful
to congressional offices. Staff and intern user self-service is welcomed, with
guidance provided by CRS reference staff as needed.
This report, originally authored by Merete F. Gerli, describes the types of CRS
products and a selection of the most frequently used printed and online reference
sources available in the reading room and research centers for use by congressional
staff. These deal with legislation and public policy; bills, congressional documents,
laws, and regulations; Congress, elections, and politics; the federal government;
directories of organizations, associations, corporations, state agencies, educational
institutions, and the media; biographical information; data on foreign countries and
international affairs; quick facts and statistics; and special collections such as
quotations.
This report will be updated as warranted.



Contents
CRS Centers and Reading Rooms on Capitol Hill........................1
CRS Publications and Products.......................................2
CRS Website, Legislative Information System, and Other Online Systems.....2
Articles on a Subject: Looking for Background Information................4
Magazine and Newspaper Articles — Indexes and Full Text Retrieval....4
Issues of Magazines and Newspapers..............................5
Bills, Congressional Documents, Laws, and Regulations...................6
CRS Website and Legislative Information System (LIS)...............6
House Legislative Resource Center and Senate Document Room........6
Other Sources.................................................7
Congress, Elections, and Politics......................................8
Overview of Congress and Activities..............................8
Profiles of Members and Districts.................................9
Staff and Congressional Office Information........................10
Statistics on Congress and Politics...............................11
Federal Government: Executive and Judicial...........................12
Government Organization, Offices, and Functions...................12
Budget, Outlays, and Grants....................................12
Current Names and Numbers....................................13
Regulations and Regulatory Agencies.............................14
The President................................................15
Directories of Organizations, Corporations, and State Agencies............15
General .....................................................15
Political Action Committees and Lobbyists.........................16
Business Directories...........................................17
Education and Internships......................................17
Media Directories.............................................17
State and Local Directories.....................................18
Biographical Information...........................................18
Foreign Countries and International Affairs............................19
Quick Facts, Statistics, and Quotations ................................20
Facts and Statistics............................................20
Quotations ..................................................22



Congressional Resources in CRS Research
Centers and the La Follette Congressional
Reading Room
CRS Centers and Reading Rooms on Capitol Hill
1La Follette Congressional Reading Room (LCRR)7-7100
Madison Building, Room LM204Monday - Thursday8:30 - 8
Friday8:30 - 6
Saturday (when8:30 - 5
Congress is in session)

2Jefferson Congressional Reading Room (JCRR)


Jefferson Building, Room LJ159Monday - Friday8:30-5:00
(for Members of Congress only)
3Senate Research Center (SRC) 4-3550
Russell Building, Room B07Monday - Friday9:00 - 5:30
4Rayburn Research Center (RRC)5-6958
Rayburn HOB, Room B335Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:30



CRS Publications and Products
CRS Web pages and publications, available only through CAPnet, are intended
to provide overview and background information on topics of current legislative and
policy interest to Congress. They are useful for briefing Members and legislative
staff as well as answering constituent requests.
CRS Website. The CRS website, [http://www.crs.gov/], provides full text of
all current CRS publications and can be searched directly from terminals in
congressional offices or in CRS Reader Services facilities. For more information,
see below.
CRS Reports. CRS reports are written to address specific topics of concern to
Congress. They may take the form of policy analyses, statistical reviews, economic
studies, fact sheets, chronologies, bibliographies, and guides to handling certain types
of requests or research.
CRS Website, Legislative Information System,
and Other Online Systems
CRS Website
[ http://www.crs.gov/]
The Congressional Research Service offers information, through the Internet,
designed and organized for the exclusive use of congressional offices. Congressional
staff may search the CRS website directly from their office computers on Capitol Hill
and district or state offices. Designated terminals in the La Follette Congressional
Reading Room and Senate and House Research Centers may also be used to search
CRS resources, Library of Congress catalogs, and other online systems. The CRS
website includes the following:
!Floor Agenda: CRS Products (the guide to CRS products that focus
on issues likely to receive floor action in House and Senate that
week)
!Appropriations / Status Tables
!Bill Summary & Status
!Constitution Annotated
!Constituent Services
!Current Legislative Issues (CLIs)
!Search for CRS Products: by title, author, summary, subject, or
keyword
!CRS Services provides information about placing requests with
CRS; phone numbers and contacts; orientations, seminars, and
institutes; and guidelines for interns and volunteers.
!Congressional Reference Desk provides links to Internet general
reference materials (such as directories, dictionaries, travel, and
weather information), and specialized virtual references tailored for
legislative assistants, constituent caseworkers, schedulers, press



secretaries, and speech writers. This section includes the CRS
Grants Information Web page, which is useful in responding to
certain constituent requests.
!External Internet Links by Topic
!Library of Congress, which includes details on how congressional
staff can request books from the Library’s collections.
Legislative Information System (LIS)
[ h ttp://www.congress.gov/]
The CRS website also links to the Legislative Information System, specifically
designed to track legislation and legislative activity, with links to CRS products and
other features exclusively available to Congress. Its public counterpart is THOMAS
[http://thomas.loc.gov], which constituents can use. (THOMAS, however, does not
provide the same search options as LIS; it also does not provide access to CRS
publications.)
The LIS provides item, keyword, subject, and other searching of floor
activities and schedules, bill summary and status, bill text, votes, public laws, the
Congressional Record; committee reports, schedules, hearings, transcripts, and home
pages; lists of House and Senate Members and links to their home pages; news and
periodical literature links; support agencies and other government links; and other
useful assistance and guidance for congressional staff.
Other Online Systems Available for Congressional Staff Use
All CRS research centers and the La Follette Congressional Reading Room
have client computers that congressional staff may use to access a variety of Web
subscriptions and other online resources. Internet bookmarks at congressional staff
workstations include the following:
!Archives USA — Search Manuscript Repositories
!Associations Unlimited
!Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
!Britannica Online
! Cartoons
! CQ.com
!CQ Weekly index (Congressional Quarterly)
!Contemporary Authors
!D&B Million Dollar Database (company profiles)
!Digital Dissertations
!Editorials and opinion pieces: American Media Columnists
(columns from over 600 U.S. and Canadian columnists)
!Editorials and opinion pieces: Opinion-Pages (English-language
editorials and opinion pieces from around the world)
!Granger’s World of Poetry
!GrantSelect (grants available from government, private foundations,
corporations, universities, and other entities)
!Grove Art Online
!Historical Abstracts



!Historical Newspapers Online (London Times and New York Times,

19th-20th c.)


!JSTOR (historical runs of economic, political science, history
journals)
!NTIS (National Technical Information Service, index of U.S.
government-sponsored research)
!Periodicals Index Online (humanities/social sciences journals)
!PolicyFile (indexes public policy news, research, and analysis)
!Project Muse (Scholarly journals online)
!ProQuest (indexing and full text, newspapers and magazines)
!ProQuest Historical Newspapers
!ReferenceUSA (searchable directory of 13 million U.S. and
Canadian businesses)
!RLG Eureka (indexes to social sciences, arts and humanities)
!STAT-USA (Department of Commerce and other government
agencies)
!Who’s Who: Marquis Who’s Who
NEXIS/LEXIS, WESTLAW, and DIALOG
Many congressional offices subscribe to NEXIS/LEXIS, WESTLAW,
DIALOG, and other commercial online systems for their staff and interns. Because
of budget constraints, the La Follette Congressional Reading Room and House and
Senate Research Centers are unable to offer self-searching of these sources to
congressional staff.
Articles on a Subject: Looking for
Background Information
The following resources enable congressional staff and interns to locate
articles on a topic. CRS subscribes to many Web and electronic full-text periodical
literature services that congressional staff can use in LCRR and research centers.
Congressional staff computers in research centers and LCRR have bookmarks to
online systems available for congressional staff use (see above), which include full
text and indexes to periodical literature. For online searching, follow screen prompts,
or consult guide sheets available at each congressional staff workstation.
Magazine and Newspaper Articles —
Indexes and Full Text Retrieval
ProQuest. Provides summaries of articles from hundreds of newspapers and
magazines, including the full text of many of these. Journals covered include
magazines such as Atlantic, Black Enterprise, Business Week, Current History,
Fortune, Harper’s, Ms., New York Review of Books, Science, Sports Illustrated, and
Time; as well as specialized journals such as Advertising Age, Computerworld,
Journal of Labor Research, Public Administration Review, and Survey of Current
Business and Campaigns & Elections. Newspapers include major national and
regional U.S. newspapers, such as the Atlanta Constitution, Boston Globe, Chicago



Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall
Street Journal, and Washington Post, as well as some local papers.
OCLC/First Search (Web). Online searching of numerous index and abstracting
services, including Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS), Readers’ Guide
Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts, and Newspaper Abstracts. Full text available for
some articles.
Other Internet Sources — Newspapers and magazines, full text and indexing, are
being added to the Web daily, including U.S., international, and even some U.S.
college newspapers. A number of such sources are bookmarked at client PCs in
LCRR and research centers. Names and descriptions of services may also be located
via the CRS Website under “Congressional Staff Reference Desk/Media Services.”
The Library of Congress Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room Website
also gives information about newspapers, periodicals, and government publications
[ http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/] .
Printed Indexes to Magazines and Newspapers — These are available in the La
Follette Congressional Reading Room, the Library of Congress Newspaper and
Current Periodical Reading Room (LM-133 Madison) and the Law Library Reading
Room (LM-201 Madison). They are useful for researching older materials.
Magazine indexes in LCRR include Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature and
Book Review Digest; newspaper indexes include the New York Times, Washington
Post, and Wall Street Journal. Also available are indexes to news information and
summaries, such as Facts on File.
Issues of Magazines and Newspapers
Current Issues of Magazines — Major national news, business, and public policy
magazines can be found in the La Follette Congressional Reading Room and
research centers. Most CRS facilities have magazines on public policy issues, such
as CQ Weekly and National Journal; news weeklies, such as Time and Newsweek;
business news magazines, such as Business Week and Fortune; and popular
magazines, such as Consumer Reports. Most CRS facilities also have some years of
back issues for magazines they receive. Collections vary depending upon space —
ask the information professional.
Major national current newspapers in the La Follette Congressional Reading
Room and research centers include hard copies for three months of the New York
Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor,
Washington Times, and USA Today.
The Library of Congress Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room
(Room LM-133 Madison) holds additional current newspapers and magazines, and
often a year of many magazines received by the Library. Copying machines may be
used free of charge by congressional staff holding current Hill identification cards.



Older issues of periodicals are housed in the Library of Congress book stacks.
These bound volumes may be requested for use in the La Follette Congressional
Reading Room.
Bills, Congressional Documents,
Laws, and Regulations
(Text, summaries, and status)
CRS Website and Legislative Information System (LIS)
LIS, accessible through the CRS Website, provides bill summary and status,
full text of legislation and public laws, full text of committee reports, hearings, and
other documents (including relevant CRS publications), and the Congressional
Record for the current and earlier Congresses. The system provides information by
topic, committee, sponsorship, and cosponsorship; it can be used to identify identical
bills. Congressional staff may also call House LEGIS (ext. 5-1772) or the Senate
Library (ext. 4-7106) for information on the current status of bills.
House Legislative Resource Center and
Senate Document Room
House and Senate document rooms provide copies of House and Senate bills
and resolutions, committee and conference reports, public laws, and other
congressional documents for the current Congress to congressional staff and the
public. They may have select items from previous Congresses.
Legislative Resource Center (Office of the Clerk of the House)
B-106 CANNON HOBFor Current Congress
Phone: ext. 6-5200 or (202) 226-5200Bills and Resolutions
Hours: 9-6 Monday-FridayPublic Laws
[http://clerkweb.house.gov]Committee Reports
(available to House offices only)House Calendars
House Documents
Other
Statements of DisbursementsFor past Congresses
Federal Election Campaign Reports(for House staff only)
Financial Disclosure StatementsHouse Documents
Lobby RegistrationsPublic Laws
Senate Document Room (Office of the Secretary of the Senate)
B04 HART SOBCurrent Congress only
Phone: ext. 4-7701 or (202) 224-7701Senate Bills and Resolutions
Recording (orders): ext. 4-1356Current/past Congresses
Hours: 9-5:30 Monday-FridayCommittee and Conference Reports
Senate and House Documents
Public Laws
Treaties and Executive Reports



Other Sources
CIS Index and CIS Abstracts. Washington: Congressional Information Service,
monthly with annual compilations.
CIS provides brief abstracts of congressional publications including
committee hearings, committee prints, House and Senate documents, reports, and
special publications, Senate executive reports, and treaty documents. Detailed
indices cover subject, name (including names of witnesses at hearings), and bill,
report, and document numbers. CIS also provides legislative histories of public laws.
The La Follette Congressional Reading Room and the Senate Research Center have
CIS Index and CIS Abstracts. The electronic version of CIS is available through
LexisNexis Congressional, a specific set of databases accessible through the client
terminals in the La Follette Reading Room, and the House and Senate research
centers. Copies of the documents identified, may be available from House or Senate
document rooms (see above) or on CIS microfiche, which may be requested in the
LCRR or in the Law Library of Congress. In addition to allowing electronic searching
of the CIS index and abstracts, LexisNexis Congressional also provides the full text
for most House and Senate reports and documents from 1789 through 1969, ( through
its “Serial Set” component) and the full text for many committee prints and some
older CRS Reports. (Please note that LexisNexis Congressional is a distinct product
and does not provide access to other LexisNexis databases.)
Public Laws, United States Statutes at Large, and United States Code. Washington:
Government Printing Office (GPO).
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/plaws/index .html]
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index .html]
Once Congress passes a bill, and the President signs it into law, it is assigned
a number and published by the Government Printing Office, first as a slip law and
later in annual volumes of the U.S. Statutes at Large. Full text of public laws and
related documents are available electronically via GPO and LIS. Congressional staff
can also access laws and legal documents via NEXIS and Westlaw in their Senate
and some House Member offices. All laws of a general and permanent nature are
eventually consolidated and organized (codified) by subject in the United States Code
(revised every six years). The U.S. Code Annotated (St. Paul, MN, West), available
in the La Follette Congressional Reading Room and the Senate and Rayburn
Research Centers, reproduces the Code together with citations for judicial opinion,
historical notes, digests, encyclopedia and other references, and other editorial aids.
The U.S. Code Annotated also includes a general subject index, indices in all
volumes, useful tables, and continuous supplementation by pamphlet supplements,
annual pocket parts, and replacement volumes to facilitate research.
United States Code Congressional and Administrative News. St. Paul, West
Publishing. Semimonthly when Congress is in session; monthly at other times.
Includes full text of all public laws, some of the legislative history documents,
executive orders, Presidential Proclamations, administrative regulations, messages
of the President, and popular names of laws. Current issues contain an index/digest
of bills enacted.



Congress, Elections, and Politics
A variety of reference works and CRS products cover Congress and the
legislative process. This section discusses the standard printed reference sources on
Congress available in the La Follette Congressional Reading Room and House and
Senate research centers.
Overview of Congress and Activities
Congress A to Z. 4th ed. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 2003.
In dictionary format, provides succinct entries on congressional procedures
and vocabulary, such as appropriations bills, gerrymandering, legislative process,
adjournment, profiles of past and present congressional leaders; brief histories of
committees; and numerous other topics relevant to congressional activity and
history. Detailed index. In similar format, CQ also publishes Elections A-Z 2nd ed.,

2003) and The Presidency A-Z 3rd ed., 2003).


Types of questions that can be answered:
What do the House and Senate Parliamentarians do?
How does the House Ways & Means Committee differ from the
Appropriations Committee?
What are the various leadership positions in the House and Senate?
Can someone explain reapportionment and redistricting to my constituent?
What is Congress’ role in amending the U.S. Constitution?
CQ Weekly. Washington: Congressional Quarterly. Weekly.
Useful summary of activities of Congress; factual and timely; full reports on
the progress of major bills (“Status of Major Legislation”); voting records and
activities of individual Members; congressional interaction with the executive; roll
call votes included. CQ.com and CQ Weekly indexes are available on client
computers in LCRR and research centers.
Types of questions that can be answered:
What are the characteristics of the freshmen elected to Congress in 2006?
What is the background on the controversy over banking reform?
Who and what is Member Q, who was just elected a week or two ago?
What would the President’s budget allow for military defense? for
pollution control? the federal prison system?
Congressional Record. Washington: GPO. Daily when Congress is in session.
Contains the edited transcript of the activities on the floor of the House and
Senate. The “Daily Digest” section includes summaries of action in each chamber,
committee hearings, bills signed, and committee meetings scheduled for the
following day. The Record full text and the Index are searchable online via the LIS
[http://www.congress.gov/]. Printed indices, searchable by Member’s name, bill
number, and subject, are issued twice a month.
Types of questions that can be answered:
When was the most recent list of lobbyists published in the Record?
My Member put an editorial in the Record two years ago; how can I find it?
When was the last debate on the federal pay raise?
Who voted against the President’s economic package in the Senate?



Guide to Congress, 5th ed. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1999.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Congress, covering its
history, congressional powers and functions, the legislative process, congressional
procedures, and support agencies. Well organized and indexed.
Profiles of Members and Districts
Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal. Biennial.
Informative, opinionated descriptions of states and districts; biographical
information on Members; ratings of Members by various interest groups; Members’
votes on key issues. Similar in format to:
Politics in America. Washington: Congressional Quarterly. Biennial.
Descriptions of states and districts; biographical information on Members;
key votes of Members; how interest groups rate Members.
Types of questions that can be answered:
How is Representative X rated by the various rating groups?
Was the Member for or against the ban on chemical weapons?
How much did Senator Y spend in his last election?
What is the ethnic makeup of the first district of New Mexico? the state?
How successful has Representative Z been in pushing programs for her
district?
Where does Senator X stand on approving the death penalty for drug-
related murders?
What has been the political situation in the first district of California in
recent years?
Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-2005. Washington:
Congressional Quarterly, 2005.
Provides brief official biographical sketch of every Member of Congress,
nearly 12,000 from 1789 through the 109th Congress. Also, for each Congress, gives
complete listing, by state, of Senators and Representatives (including results of
special elections or appointments due to death or resignation of an elected Member);
dates of each session and of special sessions (if any); and key leadership.
The Web version [http://bioguide.congress.gov] contains up-to-date
biographical profiles.
Types of questions that can be answered:
Did Senator X from Wisconsin serve three consecutive terms; or did he
lose an election?
Who served as Representatives from New York in the 1930s?
How many Longworths have served in the U.S. Congress?
Congressional Directory. Washington: GPO. Biennial.
General directory of Members, committees, and subcommittees, with home
addresses of congressional officials and others in the legislative branch. Other useful
information for congressional offices includes lists of embassies, foreign embassies
and ambassadors in Washington, DC as well as American embassies and
ambassadors abroad; statistical section with tables of votes casts and sessions of
Congress; biographical information on judges, lists of federal courts; information on
the Capitol and Capitol grounds buildings, including maps; names of press



representatives and services. LCRR and the Senate Research Center have collections
of old Congressional Directories. The current Directory is available on the Web:
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cdirectory/index .html]
Types of questions that can be answered:
How many Supreme Court justices are over 70 years old?
Who is the ambassador from Sweden, and what is his title?
Has any session of Congress lasted longer than 365 days?
Which Senator and Representative have served in Congress the longest?
Who is in charge of the Capitol Page School?
When was the Russell Senate Office Building built?
Congressional Districts in the 2000’s. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 2003.
Reflecting 2000 census data and congressional redistricting, this work
provides narrative descriptions of districts, including demography and economics,
voting trends, major newspapers and television stations in the district, military
installations, businesses, and other major employers.
Congressional Yellow Book. Washington: Leadership Directories. Quarterly.
Frequently updated directory of names, telephone numbers, addresses of
Representatives, Senators, and staff; House and Senate offices, joint committees and
staff; leadership and Member organizations; and congressional support agencies. For
each state, provides district maps, lists state delegations, and gives zip codes by
congressional district.
Types of questions that can be answered:
What is the phone number of the organization, Former Members of
Congress?
Who is the chief counsel of the Committee on Indian Affairs?
What is the telephone number of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus?
How many Members belong?
Whom can I contact for a list of the Vietnam veterans in Congress?
Staff and Congressional Office Information
Almanac of the Unelected: Staff of the U.S. Congress. Washington: Almanac
Publishing. Annual.
In-depth biographical profiles of senior congressional staff of House and
Senate leadership offices and committees. Includes photographs.
Types of questions that can be answered:
My art teacher’s husband works for the Senate Budget Committee. What is
his position and was he the one who spoke at a recent budget
briefing?
A senior staff member on the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
recently met with the Librarian of Congress; I know what he looks
like but forgot his name.
Congressional Staff Directory. Alexandria, VA: CQ Staff Directories. Three times
per year.
Directory of 16,000 people who run the legislative branch, with biographical
profiles of 3,200 key congressional staff. Also includes jurisdiction of committees;



lists of subcommittees and their staffs; district/state office addresses and telephones;

14,000 cities and counties with congressional districts (easy to refer mail); names,


addresses, and telephone numbers of state governors.
Types of questions that can be answered:
In which congressional district is Beaver Dam, KY?
Does the Senate Committee on Armed Services deal with naval petroleum
reserves in Alaska?
Where can I get some information about the staff director of the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence?
Who is on the Joint Economic Committee?
Setting Course: A Congressional Management Guide. Washington: Congressional
Management Foundation, 2006.
Offers ideas, models, and advice for managing a congressional office,
including managing the Member’s transition to Congress; selecting committee
assignments; hiring staff; developing an office budget and a first-term agenda;
defining the Member’s role in the office; cultivating leadership skills; and selecting
Washington and district office space. Also publishes Frontline Management, a
Guide for Congressional District/State Offices; and biennial Senate and House staff
employment and salary surveys.
Statistics on Congress and Politics
America Votes; A Handbook of Contemporary American Election Statistics.
NewYork: Macmillan. Biennial.
Includes statistics by state of voting since 1945 for President, Senator,
Representative, Governor; statistics by county and ward of the vote in the most recent
election for President, Governor, Senator; and maps of each state, large cities, and
congressional districts. Brief descriptions of political situation in each state.
Vital Statistics on American Politics. Washington: Congressional Quarterly.
Biennial.
Provides statistical information, both historical and current, on Congress,
political parties, elections and campaigns; the presidency, the executive branch, and
the judiciary; political parties, elections and campaigns; mass media, public opinion,
interest groups; foreign and military policy, social and economic policy; the
Constitution and federalism. Includes an extensive “Guide to References for Political
Statistics.”
Vital Statistics on Congress. Washington: American Enterprise Institute. Biennial.
Includes statistics on congressional elections, campaign finance, party
membership characteristics, committees, staff, costs, level of activity, and voting.



Federal Government: Executive and Judicial
Government Organization, Offices, and Functions
United States Government Manual. Washington:, GPO. Annual.
Basic handbook of the U.S. government; emphasis on executive branch,
although legislative and judicial branches are also covered. Good descriptions of
agencies, down to the bureau and major office level, giving top personnel, program
responsibility, statutory authority, and enabling legislation. Identifies agencies
abolished or transferred, and frequently used acronyms and abbreviations. Indexes
of names, subjects, and agencies.
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/gm anual/browse-gm -00.html]
Types of questions that can be answered:
What is the chain of command at GAO?
What agency did HHS supersede?
Who is the regional administrator for OSHA in Dallas?
What is a federal region?
What is “Fannie Mae”?
Where can I find an organization chart of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission?
How can I find out more about the history of savings bonds?
What is the legal basis for the National Security Council?
Washington Information Directory. Washington: Congressional Quarterly. Biennial.
Arranged by broad subject, lists the government agencies and congressional
committees interested in the area, plus D.C.-based organizations, associations, etc.
Also lists embassies and U.S. ambassadors; State Department country desks; labor
unions; mayors of all cities over 75,000. For each state governor, gives complete
address, telephone, and name of press secretary, lieutenant governor, secretary of
state, and attorney general. Gives addresses of GPO bookstores and regional
depository libraries.
Types of questions that can be answered:
What organizations are working to make buildings more accessible to the
handicapped?
Which congressional committees have jurisdiction over drug abuse
legislation?
What is the biggest labor union?
What if our office would like to send a mailing to organizations interested
in trade?
Where can I find out about doing business with the federal government?
Budget, Outlays, and Grants
Budget of the United States. Washington: GPO. Annual. Multiple volumes.
Contains the budget message of the President, a narrative of the proposed
budget by function, and statistics for previous fiscal years and the next fiscal year.
In addition, it contains statistical tables for receipts, outlays, deficits, debt, gross



national product (GNP) by fiscal year, and budget percentages for many years, often
since 1940.
Types of questions that can be answered:
Where can I find a pie chart for budget outlays and receipts?
When was the budget last balanced?
Where can I find the budget message of the President?
What was the debt subject to limit in 1950, and what statute set that limit?
What percent of the budget was spent on defense and what amount was
spent on human resources for the years 1940-1990?
What percent of next year’s budget is set aside for entitlements?
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Washington: GPO. Annual.
[ h ttp://www.cfda.gov]
Extensive information about federal grants programs, including eligibility
requirements and application procedures. Web version is full-text and updated
throughout the year. Includes keyword searching and various indexes by department,
agency, program, and subject, in addition to listings of state and regional federal
information contacts.
Types of questions that can be answered:
Is there a federal program that would provide money for a firehouse?
For the mayor of a small town, where can I find out what federal programs
might fund local projects?
Does the federal government give scholarships?
Are there any project grants available for historic preservation?
How can I get a summer job with the federal government?
Current Names and Numbers
Carroll’s Federal Executive Directory. Washington: Carroll Publishing. New
edition every other month.
This has 75,000 entries which cover the executive office of the President,
Cabinet departments, major federal administrative agencies, and Congress. Names,
titles, addresses, phones, and fax numbers are listed by agency, office, or
departments; names are indexed alphabetically; office functions and sub-agencies are
also indexed. Carroll also publishes other useful directories, including ones covering
government offices at the federal regional, state, county, and municipal levels.
Types of questions that can be answered:
Are there any federal information centers in our state?
What offices in the government are concerned with solar energy?
Who is the chief counsel for the Internal Revenue Service?
Margaret Lamontagne works for the White House. What is her position?
Federal Staff Directory. Alexandria, VA: CQ Staff Directories. Semiannual.
Lists over 30,000 key federal executives and military leaders who draft
regulations, interpret policy, disseminate information, authorize grants, and contract
for goods and services. For each, gives job title, address, and telephone number; for
the 2,600 top-level civilian and military authorities and senior assistants, gives
biographies. Also available is the annual Judicial Staff Directory, which lists some

14,000 judges and staff who run the federal courts from the Supreme Court through



the Circuit Courts of Appeal and District and Bankruptcy Courts and includes some

2,000 biographies.


Federal Yellow Book: Who’s Who in Federal Departments and Agencies.
Washington: Leadership Directories. Quarterly.
Similar to the Federal Executive Directory (see above). Extensive listings
of 35,000 staff by department and agency. Includes federal regional offices and maps
of federal regions.
Types of questions that can be answered:
Who is the head of the Civil Division at the Justice Department?
What is the telephone number of the Iraq desk at the State Department?
Are there any federal regional offices in our state?
Who is in charge of GPO?
Is there a telephone number at HUD for information on grants?
Whom can I talk to in HHS about what is being done in AIDS research?
Regulations and Regulatory Agencies
Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations. Washington: GPO.
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index .html]
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index .html]
Administrative rules and regulations and other notices issued by federal
departments and agencies are published on a regular basis in the Federal Register
(published daily except Sunday, Monday, and the day following a legal holiday).
These include proposed as well as final rules and regulations, schedules of agency
hearings and miscellaneous agency announcements, and presidential proclamations
and executive orders. Final rules and regulations subsequently appear, arranged by
broad subject, in the Code of Federal Regulations (revised once a year on a quarterly
basis). LCRR and research centers maintain print collections of FR and CFR.
Federal Regulatory Directory. Washington: Congressional Quarterly.
Provides background information on federal agencies which issue and enforce
regulations, including each agency’s authority to regulate, how regulations are
published, and information on recent activities. Also gives biographies of
commissioners and board members; telephone contacts in regional agencies; and
congressional oversight committees.
Types of questions that can be answered:
How are handguns regulated?
How can you register a complaint against a household moving company?
Which agency monitors asbestos usage?
Are there federal standards for private pensions?
Are there any truth-in-advertising standards for seeds?
Who regulates hazardous materials?



The President
CQ Guide to the Presidency, 3rd ed. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 2002.
Explains the origins, evolution, and contemporary workings of the presidency.
Included are excerpts from 40 documents significant to the presidency, a complete
listing of Cabinet members from the administrations of Presidents Washington to
Bush, and charts showing Gallup poll ratings of the Presidents from Truman
onwards. The highest court of the land is given similar historical and analytical
treatment in the CQ Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court, 4th ed. Washington,
Congressional Quarterly, 2004.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. Washington: GPO. Weekly, with
quarterly, semiannual, and annual indexes.
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/index .html]
Provides transcripts of presidential messages to Congress, executive orders,
announcements of appointments, nominations, resignations and retirements,
speeches, and other material released by the White House. Source for such
information as the dates on which the President signed or vetoed legislation. Public
messages, speeches, and statements of the President are later compiled in Public
Papers of the Presidents of the United States (Washington, GPO). National Archives
provides a website for Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive
Orders from1945-1989 (from President Truman through President Reagan) at
[http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/codification.html]. The
National Archives also provides a website for Executive Orders Disposition Tables;
it includes the text of executive orders since 1933 and their subsequent histories.
[ h ttp://www.archives.gov/federal-regi ster/ex ecutive-orders/disposition.html]
Directories of Organizations, Corporations,
and State Agencies
General
Encyclopedia of Associations. Detroit: Gale Group. Annual.
Standard directory of national and international membership organizations
covering all subject areas, including fraternal, social, business, veterans, public
affairs, and cultural associations. It is possible to look up an organization by name
or keyword and find a brief description of the group, current address, telephone
number, chief officer, publications, and conventions. The subscription Web version
of this directory (Associations Unlimited) is bookmarked for congressional staff use
in LCRR and research centers.
Types of questions that can be answered:
What is the address of the National Organization for Women?
I am interested in proposals to change the calendar; are there any groups I
could contact?
Where can a constituent who wishes to adopt a child from abroad get
information?
Where would one get lessons in flying a hot air balloon?
I have a gifted child; what groups can I contact for help and information?



Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations. Detroit: Gale Group.
Annual.
A guide to over 6,000 permanent, continuing, and ad hoc U.S. presidential,
congressional, and public advisory committees; interagency committees; and other
government-related boards, panels, task forces, commissions, conferences, and other
similar bodies serving in a consultative, coordinating, advisory, research, or
investigative capacity. Includes active and terminated bodies. Descriptions include
history and authority, program, membership, staff, address, telephone number, and
fax number if available.
National Trade and Professional Associations. Washington: Columbia Books.
Annual.
Describes about 7,000 national trade associations, labor unions, professional,
scientific, or technical societies, and other national organizations composed of groups
united for a common purpose. Gives address, telephone and fax numbers,
membership and staff sizes, president or chief executive officer, annual budget,
publications, and annual meetings.
Public Interest Group Profiles (formerly Public Interest Profiles). Washington:
Congressional Quarterly. Biennial.
Information about more than 200 influential public interest and public policy
organizations in areas such as the environment, consumer affairs,
community/grassroots interests, and think tanks. Gives budget data and funding
sources, board of directors, publications, current concerns, methods of operation,
phone and fax numbers, conferences, and political action committee information.
Washington Information Directory. Washington, Congressional Quarterly. Annual.
See entry above in the section on the Federal Government: Executive and
Judicial.
Political Action Committees and Lobbyists
Almanac of Federal PACs. Washington: Amward Publications. Biennial.
Based on campaign finance statistics maintained by the Federal Election
Commission, this directory includes every political action committee which
contributed $25,000 or more to candidates who were seeking election in the year
covered by the volume. Also identifies political action committees which contribute
lesser amounts to federal candidates but are “affiliated” with other PACs.
Congressional Record. Washington: GPO. Daily when Congress is in session.
New lobbyists’ registrations and reports of lobbyists’ receipts and
expenditures of the previous quarter are published four times each year by the House
Records and Registration Office. For a complete picture of currently active lobbyists,
reports for the most recent four quarters should be checked. The lists can be located
through the indexes under “Lobbying.” CQ Weekly also publishes a selective list of
lobbyists, based on the official lobby registrations, once a month in an issue of the
magazine.



Washington Representatives. Washington: Columbia Books. Annual.
Lists some 17,000 individual, law and public relations firms, as well as
companies and interest groups with representatives in Washington, D.C. Information
is taken from lobby registration files with the Clerk of the House and Secretary of the
Senate; foreign agent registrations at the Department of Justice; the Federal Election
Commission; annual company reports to the various regulatory agencies; and annual
questionnaires sent to each Washington area office listed.
Types of questions that can be answered:
Who represents General Dynamics on Capitol Hill?
What clients are represented in Washington by the lobbying firm Timmons
and Co.?
What American law firms represent Japanese business interests in
Washington?
What is the Congressional Accountability Project, and who speaks for it in
dealings with the U.S. government?
Business Directories
The La Follette Congressional Reading Room and each research center has
a selection of standard business directories, including Standard and Poor’s Register
of Corporations (New York: Standard and Poor’s, Annual), Directory of American
Firms Operating in Foreign Countries (New York: Uniworld, Irregular), Standard
Directory of Advertisers (New York; National Register, Annual), LexisNexis
Corporate Affiliations (New Providence, NJ: LexisNexis Group, Annual).
Education and Internships
Other directories of specialized interests useful for information contacts and
constituent referrals are located in each CRS reader services facility. In the area of
education, the HEP Higher Education Directory (Falls Church, VA: Higher
Education Pubs., Annual) not only lists colleges and universities by state (with brief
pertinent information), but gives the congressional district for each institution. Some
other directories, such as Internships: Petersons’s Internships (Princeton: Peterson’s
Guides, Annual), The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools (Newton, PA: Law School
Admission Services, Annual), and Medical School Admission Requirements
(Washington: Association of American Medical Colleges, Annual) are also included
in the Education collection in each Reader Services facility.
Media Directories
Media directories (covering both print and broadcasting) are also frequently
consulted by congressional staff and interns. Each CRS collection includes the
Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook (New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, Annual),
Editor and Publisher International Yearbook (New York: Editor and Publisher,
Annual), Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media (Detroit: Gale Group,
Annual), Hudson’s Washington News Media Contacts Directory (Rhinebeck, NY:
Hudson’s, Annual), Standard Directory of Periodicals (New York: Oxbridge;
Annual), and News Media Directory (New Providence, N.J.: R.R. Bowker, Annual).



Some are arranged by geographic areas (state, city), such as the Gale Directory;
others have subject arrangement, such as the Standard Directory of Periodicals.
State and Local Directories
Sometimes a constituent can best be referred to a state or local agency or
organization — for example, to register consumer complaints or get funds for a local
project. Directories to help identify appropriate sources include Carroll’s County,
Municipal, State, and Federal Regional Executive Directories (Washington: Carroll
Publishing, Quarterly); State Directory I-Elective Officials; State Directory II-
Legislative Leadership, Committees and Staff; State Directory III- Administrative
Officials (Lexington, KY: Council of State Governments, Annual); State and
Regional Associations of the United States (Washington: Columbia Books, Annual);
and the State Yellow Book; Who’s Who in the Executive and Legislative Branches of
the 50 State Governments (New York: Leadership Directories, Quarterly).
Biographical Information
(See also the Congress and Federal Government sections of this report)
Biographical directories generally give a brief outline of the person’s life, the
familiar “who’s who” paragraph, including date of birth and family history, some
education or academic degrees, a job or position history, and a current address. A
work such as Current Biography (see below) provides a more extensive, discursive
profile. For additional information, do a periodical or newspaper literature search for
articles on the person. Some standard biographical directories include:
Almanac of the Unelected: Staff of the U.S. Congress. Lanham, MD: Bernan Press,
Annual.
The Almanac contains in-depth, profiles of senior congressional committee
staff. Each entry provides detailed contact, political, and professional information for
each staffer.
Current Biography. New York: H.W. Wilson, Monthly except August with annual
cumulations.
Objective and well-documented biographical profiles of prominent
individuals in most fields. Includes a photograph of each and citations to other
bibliographical articles. Web subscription available at congressional client computers
in LCRR and research centers, from 1940 to within a month or two of the current
date.
Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. New York: Martindale-Hubbell, Annual.
Source of information for and about the legal community, providing profiles
of lawyers and law firms. Now has an alphabetical index to all names in the
geographically-arranged, multi-volume directory. [http://www.martindale.com].



Who’s Who Among African Americans. Detroit: Gale Group, Annual.
Biographies of prominent blacks in all areas of achievement. Includes
geographic and occupations indexes, reflecting U.S. and international entries in 150
fields, from accounting to zoology.
Who’s Who in America. Chicago: Marquis, Biennial.
Americans of significant position or achievement in the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches of government; high ranking military officers; officials of state
governments; officials of principal cities; leading government officials of Canada and
Mexico; principal officers of major national and international businesses; ranking
administrative officials of major universities and colleges; heads of leading
philanthropic, cultural, educational, professional, and scientific institutions and
associations; selected members of honorary organizations; chief ecclesiastics of the
principal religious denominations; and recipients of major national and international
awards. For each, includes vital statistics, education, career summary, writings and
creative works, awards, association memberships, home and office addresses.
Marquis also publishes regional volumes for specific geographic areas of the
United States (Who’s Who in the East, ... the Midwest, ... the South and Southwest,
and ... the West); a retrospective series Who Was Who in America; an international
Who’s Who in the World; and numerous directories by specific occupation or group.
These last include Who’s Who in American Law, ... in Finance and Industry, ... in
American Politics, and ... of American Women. Finally, the annual Index to Marquis
Who’s Who Books lists the specific Marquis Who’s Who directory in which a listee’s
biographical sketch can be found.
Foreign Countries and International Affairs
Background Notes. Washington: GPO, Irregular.
For each country of the world, the U.S. State Department prepares briefing
reports for its staff going abroad. The profile summarizes geographical and
population characteristics; history; government, major political parties, and political
conditions; the economy; foreign relations; travel notes; and bibliography of
additional sources. Currently, LCRR and research centers rely on the Web version
of this source for up-to-date information. [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/].
Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments. Springfield, VA:
National Technical Information Service, Bimonthly.
Current listing of world leaders, prepared by the Central Intelligence
Agency. [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/chiefs/index.html/].
The Europa World Year Book. London: Europa, Annual.
Provides detailed information on the political, economic, and commercial
institutions of the world. Contains information about international organizations and
detailed country information. [http://www.europaworld.com].



Foreign Consular Offices in the United States. Washington: GPO, Quarterly.
Complete, official listing of consular offices in the United States, with names
of recognized consular officers. Since regulations affecting both trade and travel are
the particular province of the consular service of the nations involved, reliable
information on entrance requirements, consignments of foods, details of
transshipment, and, in many instances, suggestions on consumer needs and
preferences may be obtained at foreign consular offices throughout the United States.
[ h ttp://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/] .
Legislation on Foreign Relations Through [year]. Washington: GPO, Irregular.
Committee print which contains legislation and related material frequently
referred to by the Committees on Foreign Relations of the Senate and Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives, amended to date and annotated to show pertinent
history or cross references. Volumes I, II, III, and IV contain legislation and related
material; volume V contains treaties.
[ h ttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/house/intrelations/index .html] .
Treaties in Force: A List of Treaties and Other International Agreements of the
United States in Force on [date]. Washington: GPO, Annual.
Provides information on treaties and other international agreements to which
the United States has become a party and which are carried on the records of the
Department of State as being in force as of January of each year.
[ h ttp://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/treaties] .
The World Factbook. Washington: Central Intelligence Agency, Annual.
The Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of
U.S. government officials. Information is provided by various agencies of the federal
government, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of the Census, Defense
Intelligence, Department of State, Fish and Wildlife Service, Maritime
Administration, National Imagery and Mapping Agency, and other public and private
sources. [http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html].
Quick Facts, Statistics, and Quotations
Facts and Statistics
Chase’s Calendar of Events. Chicago: Contemporary Books, Annual.
Almanac of holidays and events, including national and state days, events
sponsored by organizations, historic anniversaries, folkloric events, birthdays,
religious observances, and holidays for which Presidential Proclamations are issued.
It provides a brief description of each holiday, as well as the sponsoring group or
agency, legislation or proclamation which created it. In addition, Chase’s includes
a number of other useful listings, including national days of the world, U.S.
hurricane names for the current year and future years, major awards (such as Oscars
and Pulitzer Prizes) presented for the most recent year available, and a perpetual
calendar.



Facts on File: The Indexed Record of World Events. New York: Facts on File,
Weekly with annual and five-year cumulations.
Digest of and detailed index to world news information. Provides a factual,
detailed, and up-to-date source for answers to questions on current events. Excellent
for news story summaries, names, and date verification. Also cover deaths, science,
sports, medicine, education, religion, crime, books, plays, films, and persons
prominent in the news.
Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington: GPO, Annual.
Social, political, and economic statistics of the United States — the first place
to look for almost any kind of numbers, covering all U.S. subjects. Useful
compilation of every major statistical series collected by the federal government,
state governments, and national organizations. Subject arrangement, with detailed
index. Much information broken down by state; see “state data (for individual state)”
in index for complete list. Source to contact if more information is needed given
with each table.
Types of questions that can be answered:
How many bills and resolutions were introduced in the last Congress?
What are the statistics on cigarette smoking in the United States?
What have been the dollar costs of American wars?
What percentage of registered voters ages 18-20 voted in 1992, 1996,

2000, 2004?


How many physicians in the United States graduated from foreign medical
schools?
What American industries are being acquired by foreign investors?
What is the average salary for a school teacher?
What is the highest elevation in the USA? The lowest?
The World Almanac and Book of Facts. New York: World Almanac, Annual.
One of several general annual almanacs, a useful compendium of current
factual information and statistics in all subject areas. Includes facts on U.S. states
and cities; foreign countries; flags and maps in color; sports; chronology of previous
year, etc.
Types of questions that can be answered:
How many people in the world speak Japanese?
What does the law on succession to the presidency say?
Is a liter bigger than a quart?
What have been the leading mutual funds historically?
Have third parties ever really influenced the presidential election?
How far is it between Chicago and New York?
World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Annual.
Standard reference encyclopedia in LCRR and Centers, along with the
Encyclopedia Americana and Encyclopaedia Britannica. Short articles
supplemented with chronologies of important dates and events, lists of important
figures, statistical information, tables, and charts. Includes bibliographies and
detailed index volume.



Quotations
To assist congressional staff and Members searching for appropriate
quotations to use in their writing or speeches, or to verify some familiar sayings,
LCRR and the research centers include an extensive selection of quotation books.
These collections are intended primarily for user self-service.
General quotation compilations cover a broad range of subjects. Such works
include:
Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations Requested from the Congressional
Research Service (Washington: Library of Congress, 1989).
Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs
Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature. 17th ed. (Boston:
Little, Brown, 2002)
Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations (New York: Oxford University Press,

2002)


The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When (New York: St. Martin’s
Griffin, 2006)
Other compilations of quotations focus on specific subjects, such as:
Contemporary Quotations in Black (Westport, CO: Greenwood Press, 1997)
Encyclopedia of Supreme Court Quotations (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2000)
Political Quotations: A Collection of Notable Sayings on Politics from Antiquity
Through 1989 (Detroit: Gale Research, 1990)
Will the Gentleman Yield? The Congressional Record Humor Book (Berkeley, CA:
Ten Speed Press, 1987)
The Bible According to Mark Twain: Writings on Heaven, Eden, and the Flood
(Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1995)
A Dictionary of Quotations from Shakespeare: A Topical Guide to Over 3,000 Great
Passages from the Plays, Sonnets, and Narrative Poems (New York: Dutton,

1992)


Quotations from Abraham Lincoln (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1977)
The Wit & Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin: A Treasury of More than 900 Quotations
and Anecdotes (New York: HarperCollins, 1995)