Congressional Record

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record database through GPO Access is usually updated by 11 a.m. GPO Access contains the Congressional Record volumes from 140 (1994) to the present. You can search by browsing the database; by doing a page search; or by doing a more advanced search using keywords, sections (House, Senate, Daily Digest or Extension of Remarks) and other fields (volume or issue date). If you have any questions when searching the Congressional Record database, remember to take a look at the "Search Tips" page.

In addition to obtaining access to the Congressional Record through GPO Access, you can also find it on Thomas. Through Thomas you have access to the Daily Digest that includes links to other pages in the Congressional Record, and links to resolutions and bills. Thomas also provides links to pdf files in GPO Access for the same CR pages provided in text format through Thomas.

The Congressional Record can be searched by word or phrase, member of congress, section, and date received or session. You can also browse the Congressional Record by date (select "View links to daily issues…") or keyword (select "View words in the index…."). Access to Roll Call Votes is also provided. Thomas contains the Congressional Record from the 101st Congress (1989-1990) through the present day. Some of the features such as links to GPO Access pdf files are not available in the earlier years.

Since March of 1985 the full text of the Congressional Record can be found electronically on both WESTLAW (CR) and LEXIS (GENFED;RECORD). The Wirtz Labor Library has most of the Congressional Record beginning with Volume 1 (1873) in either print or microfilm.

NOTE: The bound volumes of the Congressional Record are paginated differently than the daily volumes and there is no cross-referencing system. One of the differences is that the daily volumes are paginated according to each of the four sections: Proceedings of the House of Representatives -- H, Proceedings of the Senate -- S, Extensions of Remarks -- E, and Daily Digest -- D whereas the bound volumes are not. This is just something to keep in mind when you are researching a Congressional Record citation.