Congressional Research Service facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Congressional Research Service

Agency overview
Formed	July 16, 1914; 111 years ago (1914-07-16)
Headquarters	101 Independence Ave. SE Washington, D.C., U.S.
Annual budget	$133.6 million (2023)
Agency executives	Karen Donfried, Director T.J. Halstead, Deputy Director

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is like a special research team for the United States Congress. It helps members of Congress and their staff understand important topics. CRS works for them confidentially, meaning their discussions are private. It also works in a nonpartisan way, which means it doesn't favor any political party.

People sometimes call CRS Congress's "think tank." This is because it provides research and analysis on almost any topic related to making national laws. CRS has about 600 employees. These employees are experts in many different areas. They include lawyers, economists, historians, and scientists. In 2023, Congress gave CRS about $133.6 million to do its work.

CRS was started in 1914. It was part of a bigger effort to make the government more professional. The goal was to give public officials independent research and information. For many years, CRS reports were only for Congress. But since 2018, many non-confidential reports are available to everyone online.

CRS is one of three main agencies that help Congress. The others are the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The CBO helps with budget information. The GAO checks how the government spends money. Together, these three agencies employ over 4,000 people.

How the CRS Began: A Look at Its History

In 1914, two lawmakers from Wisconsin, Senator Robert La Follette Sr. and Representative John M. Nelson, helped create CRS. They wanted a special research unit within the Library of Congress. They believed that lawmakers needed good information to make smart decisions. This idea came from similar efforts in New York and Wisconsin.

The new department's job was to answer questions from Congress. The law allowed the Librarian of Congress to hire experts. These experts would prepare information needed by Congress.

In 1946, CRS was renamed the Legislative Reference Service. It was given permanent permission to operate. It helped Congress by providing facts and research. Much of this research came from other government agencies or private groups.

In the 1940s, the Library of Congress tried publishing some of CRS's work for the public. These were called Public Affairs Bulletins. They covered important topics like national defense. About 100 of these were made. But Congress stopped their production in 1951.

In 1970, the service was renamed the Congressional Research Service again. This change showed its new main goal. CRS was now directed to focus more on doing its own research and analysis. This research directly supported the lawmaking process.

From 1980 to the early 1990s, CRS published a magazine called the Congressional Research Service Review. It came out ten times a year and was available to the public. It had articles and summaries of CRS research.

The number of questions CRS received grew a lot. It went from 400,000 questions in 1980 to 598,000 in 2000. CRS changed how it was organized in 1999 to handle this increase.

Before September 18, 2018, CRS reports were usually not available to the public. But a new law in 2018 changed this. Now, many CRS reports are available online for everyone to see.

What the CRS Does: Its Important Mission

CRS provides research and analysis on all important national policy issues. It helps Congress understand current and new problems.

CRS offers quick and private help to all members of Congress who ask for it. This help is limited by CRS's resources. It must also be balanced, nonpartisan, and accurate.

CRS does not tell Congress what laws to make. Its job is to make sure lawmakers have the best information. This helps them make good decisions for the American people. All CRS analysts must be confidential, timely, accurate, objective, balanced, and nonpartisan.

CRS services are not just about making new laws. For example, CRS tries to understand new issues and problems. This way, it is ready to help Congress when needed. CRS also offers many courses. These include seminars on how laws are made and how the budget works. At the start of each new Congress, CRS also gives an orientation for new members.

CRS does not research current or former members of Congress. The only exceptions are if the member gives permission. Or if the President nominates them for another job.

How the CRS is Organized

CRS is divided into six main research groups. Each group focuses on different subjects. These groups are:

• American Law
• Domestic Social Policy
• Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade
• Government and Finance
• Knowledge Services
• Resources, Science and Industry

These six research groups are supported by five "infrastructure" offices. These offices help with things like finances, technology, and managing staff.

Services the CRS Provides to Congress

CRS answers questions from Congress in many ways. These include reports, memos, special briefings, and phone calls.

CRS helps lawmakers at every step of the lawmaking process:

• Ideas for New Laws: Lawmakers might ask CRS for background information on an issue. This helps them decide if a new law is needed. CRS can explain complex science topics. It can also gather articles from different viewpoints. CRS also helps lawmakers find experts to talk with.
• Analyzing a Bill: If a lawmaker decides to introduce a bill, CRS can help. They can clarify the bill's goals. They can also identify different ways to solve problems. CRS helps lawmakers understand the pros and cons of each option. They also help prepare arguments to support the bill. While CRS does not write the actual bill, its experts can work with legal drafters. CRS also helps lawmakers compare different bill proposals.
• During Committee and Floor Debates: CRS helps lawmakers prepare for debates. They provide data and information to support their positions. CRS lawyers can explain the legal effects of a bill.
• Hearings: When a committee holds public hearings, CRS can help. They provide background information and reports. They can also suggest questions for witnesses.
• Committee Votes: CRS staff may attend committee meetings. They act as a nonpartisan source of expert information for all members. If a committee decides new legislation is needed, they write a report. This report explains their decision and analyzes the bill. CRS specialists can help prepare parts of this report.
• Understanding Rules: CRS staff can explain the rules of the House and Senate. This helps lawmakers understand how procedures work. It also shows how they can use these rules to achieve their goals.
• Conference Committees: When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, a conference committee meets. CRS analysts help identify the issues to be resolved. They clarify the positions of both houses. They also suggest ways to resolve disagreements.

CRS also helps people understand the lawmaking process:

• Bill Summaries: Since 1935, a part of CRS has been responsible for writing summaries of new bills. These summaries are objective and nonpartisan. They are updated as bills change. This office also prepares titles and subject terms for bills. These summaries are available to the public online through the Library of Congress website.
• Constitution Annotated: The American Law Division of CRS creates The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation. This is a legal book that explains the U.S. Constitution. It shows how the Supreme Court has interpreted it over time.

CRS Reports: Important Research Documents

Reports from the Congressional Research Service, often called CRS Reports, are detailed research documents. They clearly explain issues related to making laws.

More than 700 new CRS reports are created each year. As of late 2011, there were nearly 7,800 reports in total.

CRS reports come in different types. These include Issue Briefs (IB), Research Memos (RM), and Reports, which can be Short (RS) or Long (RL).

Accessing CRS Reports

Since September 18, 2018, most CRS reports are available to the public. You can find them on the official U.S. Congress website, crsreports.congress.gov. Older versions of CRS reports can also be found from other sources. Because the official government website now shares non-confidential reports, other access sites are less needed.

Before 2018, these reports were private. They were not secret, but they were not easily available to the public. This was because of a rule called "congressional privilege." Before September 2018, CRS products were only given directly to members of Congress and their staff.

Past Publications of CRS

The Library of Congress, where CRS is located, tried publishing some of CRS's work in the 1940s. These were called Public Affairs Bulletins. They covered different public policy issues. About 100 of these were made before Congress stopped their production in 1951.

The Congressional Research Service Review started in 1980. It continued for about ten years. It was published ten times a year and was available to the public. It offered articles and summaries of CRS research.

Copyright and CRS Reports

The New York Times has stated that CRS reports do not contain secret information or copyrighted material.

However, CRS has explained that it sometimes includes existing material in its reports. This material might be from public sources. But sometimes it might be from copyrighted sources. When copyrighted material is used, CRS either:

• Gets permission to use it.
• Believes its work is protected by the Speech or Debate Clause. This clause protects lawmakers and their staff in their official duties.
• Believes the use falls under "fair use" rules. Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for things like research or education.

The permission CRS gets is usually for use by members of Congress. So, if you are looking for public domain content in CRS reports, you should check the internal notes.

Types of Written Work from CRS

CRS produces three main types of written work:

1. Products that provide research and analysis on legislative issues for Congress.
2. Responses to individual members and committees.
3. Summaries and collections of laws.

Products Providing Research and Analysis on Legislative Issues has two parts: Reports for Congress and Congressional Distribution Memoranda.

Reports for Congress: CRS often prepares reports for Congress. These reports analyze specific policy issues that lawmakers are interested in. They clearly explain issues in a way that relates to making laws. Analysts explain technical terms and provide accurate information. The main points of the report are summarized on the first page. These reports can be updated as new events happen.

Congressional Distribution Memoranda: These are similar to reports. But memos are prepared when only a small number of lawmakers are expected to be interested. Or when an issue is temporary. A memo can become a report if it becomes important to more lawmakers.

Responses to Individual Members and Committees: CRS staff provide custom services for lawmakers and their staff. These are made to answer specific questions. They are usually in a memo format. Written documents include Confidential Memoranda, Email Responses, and Briefing Books.

Confidential Memoranda: These memos are prepared for a specific request from Congress. They are often for lawmakers who are experts on a topic. These memos are for the person who asked for them. CRS does not share them with a larger audience unless the requester gives permission.

Email Responses: Email responses can be simple, like providing a statistic. Or they can be a short briefing or a discussion on different issues.

Briefing Books: These books are prepared for lawmakers traveling to other countries. They contain materials that support the trip's goals. Briefing books can include maps, selected reports, and short written pieces. They provide background and current information about U.S. relations with the countries being visited. They also include questions lawmakers might ask officials.

Legislative Summaries, Digests, and Compilations: Since 1935, a section of CRS has been responsible for writing summaries of public bills and resolutions. They also keep historical information about laws. Detailed summaries are updated as bills change. This CRS office also prepares titles, bill relationships, and subject terms.

Public Access to CRS Reports: A History of Debate

Before September 18, 2018, the public could not easily access CRS reports. Many people argued that this research, paid for by taxpayers, should be public.

Historically, Congress kept control over sharing CRS products. This was because CRS works only for Congress, like its own staff. From 1952 to 2018, a rule said that CRS needed approval from Congress to "publish" its work.

This rule started in the House of Representatives. It was a complete ban on the Library of Congress publishing anything from the Legislative Reference Service (now CRS). In 1954, an exception was added, allowing publication only with approval from oversight committees.

Efforts to Make CRS Reports Public

Over the years, many people tried to make CRS reports available to the public.

• 1978: A group called the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) proposed a deal. CRS would get access to state research materials. In return, CRS would give NCSL listings and copies of its reports. But a congressional committee said that lawmakers, not CRS, should decide what is shared with the public. So, the deal did not happen.
• 1980: A committee released a statement. It said that CRS's work for individual lawmakers should remain private. They also mentioned the cost and the "Speech or Debate Clause" as reasons.
• 1990: The Senate Majority Leader stressed the importance of keeping CRS's work private. He said it helps CRS explore ideas freely. However, he noted that a lawmaker or committee could choose to share a report.
• 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003: Some lawmakers tried to pass laws to make CRS reports public online. But none of these attempts succeeded.

Some lawmakers started putting individual CRS reports on their own websites. Senator Tom Daschle was one of the first in 1998. He put almost 300 reports online, but they were later removed.

Representatives Shays and Mark Green also put many CRS products on their websites. They wanted to make some CRS products available to the public.

A spokesman for the House Administration Committee said that CRS reports are like memos written by staff for lawmakers. He said that just like other staff memos, these are not made public.

However, others argued that only the general reports should be public, not private memos. (Former) Senator Joseph I. Lieberman said that the American people pay for these reports. So, they should be able to learn from the same expert analysis.

CRS Concerns About Public Release (1997)

In 1997, CRS wrote a memo about the legal issues of making its products public. They worried about several things:

• Legal Protection: They thought making reports public might make courts see CRS as less involved in the lawmaking process. This could weaken their protection under the Speech and Debate Clause.
• Lawsuits: CRS believed that more people reading their reports online could lead to more lawsuits for things like libel (false written statements).
• Privacy of Files: They worried that more lawsuits might lead to requests for CRS analysts' private files. This could make private discussions between lawmakers and CRS public.
• Copyright: CRS was concerned about copyright lawsuits if their reports were online. They sometimes use copyrighted material in their reports, always giving credit.

Responses to CRS Concerns

Gary Ruskin's View

On January 5, 1998, Gary Ruskin from the Congressional Accountability Project disagreed with CRS's arguments.

Stanley M. Brand's View

On January 27, 1998, Stanley M. Brand, a former lawyer for the House of Representatives, wrote to Senator John McCain. He said that CRS's concerns about the Speech or Debate Clause were "overstated."

John McCain used this letter when he proposed a change to a law. He wanted the Director of CRS to post reports and issue briefs online. He pointed out that lawmakers could already release CRS material on their own websites. He saw no difference between that and a government website.

McCain also said that making reports public would not greatly increase CRS's workload. He said it would only take two computer technicians to set up and update the website. He also noted that state research organizations, similar to CRS, post their products online without major workload issues.

Types of Written Work Products

CRS written work products include CRS reports, appropriations reports, and congressional distribution memoranda.

CRS Reports Explained

The most common CRS product is the general congressional distribution reports, known as "CRS reports." The goal of a report is to clearly explain an issue in the context of making laws. CRS reports include Issue Briefs (IB), Research Memos (RM), and Reports, which come in Short (RS) and Long (RL) formats.

CRS creates these products to support Congress with research. They are not specifically required by law, but they help CRS fulfill its mission.

These reports can be many things. They can be policy analysis, economic studies, statistical reviews, or legal analyses.

CRS reports are known for being in-depth, accurate, objective, and timely. In 1996, a survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology listed them as one of the "10 Most-Wanted Government Documents."

See also

• Federal Research Division
• California Office of Legislative Counsel
• OPPAGA