HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.
![handle is hein.crs/crsaaqv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code 98-266 GOV
Updated May 5, 2008
Congressional Record: Its Production,
Distribution, and Accessibility
Mildred Amer
Specialist in American Government
Government and Finance Division
The Congressional Record is the most widely recognized published account of the
debates and activities in Congress. The Record often reflects the intent of Congress in
enacting legislation. This report is one of a series on the legislative process. Please see
[http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml] for more information on the
legislative process.
The Constitution mandates that each house shall keep and publish a journal of its
proceedings. Accordingly, the House and Senate Journals, which are summaries of floor
proceedings, are the official accounts of congressional proceedings, but the Record is
better known and the most useful.
The Recordis published daily by the Government Printing Office (GPO) when either
or both houses of Congress are in session. It is brought by GPO to the congressional post
offices for early morning delivery to congressional offices as well as the House and
Senate chambers.
Each day's Record contains an account of the previous day's congressional activity.
However, if a session extends past midnight, the Record is usually published in two parts
with the first part printed the following day, and action after midnight included in the next
day's edition. Copies of the Record are also available for Representatives inside the
House chamber and for Senators on their desks in the Senate chamber. Extra copies may
be obtained from the House Document Room (B18, Ford House Office), the Senate
Library (B 15, Russell Senate Office Building), and the Senate Document Room (B04,
Hart Senate Office Building).
The Record, which averages about 200 pages a day, consists of four sections: the
proceedings of the House; the proceedings of the Senate; the Extensions of Remarks,
containing matter not part of the spoken debates and proceedings; and the Daily Digest
of activity in Congress. It does not contain any text of committee proceedings.
Located at the back of the Record, the Daily Digest of activity in Congress is a key
to using a daily Record. Separately for the House and Senate, it contains summary
information on chamber action the preceding day, including measures introduced,
reported, debated, and passed, and appointments made. It also summarizes committee](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/crsaaqv0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)