The Congressional Research Service is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis. In fiscal year 2003, CRS had a budget of $86,386,812 funded mostly by taxpayer dollars.¹ In spite of this public funding, CRS reports are not made directly available to members of the public. Instead, the public must request individual reports from their Senators and Representatives in Congress, or purchase them from private vendors such as Penny Hill Press.² A limited number of reports have been made freely available on the web by federal agencies, Members of Congress, and private parties.³

History and mission

Congress created CRS in order to have its own source of nonpartisan, objective analysis and research on all legislative issues. Indeed, the sole mission of CRS is to serve the United States Congress. CRS has been carrying out this mission since 1914, when it was first established as the Legislative Reference Service. Renamed the Congressional Research Service by the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 , CRS is committed to providing the Congress, throughout the legislative process, comprehensive and reliable analysis, research and information services that are timely, objective, nonpartisan, and confidential, thereby contributing to an informed national legislature.

External links

• Congressional Research Service welcome page
• Federation of American Scientists Congressional Research Service Reports page
• Franklin Pierce Law Center CRS Reports page
• United States Department of State Foreign Press Center CRS Reports page
• University of Maryland School of Law, Thurgood Marshall Law Library CRS Reports page

Notes

1. Congressional Research Service FY2003 Annual Report p. 38. Congressional Research Service Home Page. 21 April 2005 <http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/CRS03_AnnRpt.pdf>.
2. "About CRS Reports." Penny Hill Press Home Page. 21 April 2005 <http://www.pennyhill.com/aboutcrs.php>.
3. See the list of external links above for selected sources.