FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: Legislature

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OOOThese are the bodies that make the law. The House and Senate have here been broken up into their respective committees because of the committees' overwhelming influence over legislation. Almost every measure enacted into law will go through the vetting process of the relevant committee. That process includes the solicitation of comments from the Executive, hearings from experts on the subject of the proposed legislation and those with an interest in it, the amending of the proposed legislation, and its final recommendation to the full House or Senate. Committee members also take responsibility for shepherding a bill to final approval. Read more here.
OOOBecause of committee influence, membership is important, and members of Congress from both houses take great pains to be on the right committees and subcommittees. Their names are included on the web sites, the value of which is that the citizen can know and communicate with those most involved in specific legislation.
OOOA good source for all committee hearings is C-Span's CapitalHearings.org.
OOOUnfortunately, information is inconsistent on individual committees sites. Indeed, some of it is available only off-site.




The U.S. Code

This is the law of the land, so far as the federal government is concerned.

The Government Manual

The "official handbook of the U.S. Government".

Statutes at Large

This is the back story of the U.S. Code. Every law, public and private, ever enacted by the Congress is published in the Statutes at Large in order of the date of its passage. Until 1948, all treaties and international agreements approved by the Senate were also published in the set. In addition, the Statutes at Large includes the text of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, amendments to the Constitution, treaties with Indians and foreign nations, and presidential proclamations.

How Our Laws Are Made

Presented by the House of Representatives. For more information click the legislation link in the Senate's Virtual Reference Desk. You may also want to read How a Bill Becomes Law on Project VoteSmart, Enactment of a Law from The Library of Congress and How Congress Works at the bottom of the Rules Commmitte page below.

Congressional Bills

A complete list of both historical (to the 1993-94 103rd Congress) and current legislation from the House and the Senate from the Government Printing Office. See also the GPO's Congressional Documents.

The Congressional Record

Published by the Government Printing Office, the record is the daily diary of Congress, its debates and proceedings.

Congressional Committee Materials

From the U.S. Government Printing Office, not only committee materials, but links at the bottom of the page to valuable historical and legislative documents.


The Congressional Budget Process

An explanation put together by the Senate Committee on the Budget.



p THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


House of Representatives Schedule: A weekly schedule of what is happening in the House.
The Legislative Process: Roll call votes, plus the text and status of bills, the status of amendments, committee reports, a complete listing of each committee's jurisdiction, current house floor proceedings and the Congressional record for the 104th through the 109 Congresses. Links, too.
For the texts of committee hearings and other committee publications go to the GPO's Congressional Committee Materials.

Office of the Speaker
The site is a news and issues page for the Speaker, and reflects the political philosophy of the current Speaker's political party. See below.
Office of the Clerk
This is an essential site for finding what is going on in the House, who is who, who was who, and what's what.
Committee on Agriculture: agriculture generally, commodity exchanges, food inspections, forests, nutrition, rural development
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Appropriations: appropriation of revenues for the support of the government
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Armed Services: armed forces staff, equipment and infrastructure, oil shale reserves, soldiers & sailors homes
subcommittees | hearing schedule | calendar | legislation
Committee on the Budget: budget process generally
subcommittees | hearing schedule | hearings
Committee on Education and Labor: labor standards & statistics, wages & hours, childhood food programs
subcommittees | hearing schedule
Committee on Energy and Commerce: interstate and foreign commerce, energy policy, biomedical research, public health
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page. See also investigations.
Committee on Financial Services: banking, insurance, securities, aid to industry, housing, international finance
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Foreign Affairs: embassies, diplomatic service, export controls, foreign loans, citizens abroad
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Homeland Security: oversight of issues relating to homeland security
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on House Administration: House accounts and audits, Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, oversight of federal elections
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Intelligence: oversight of intelligence and law enforcement
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on the Judiciary: federal courts & judges, constitutional amendments, apportionment of representatives
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Natural Resources: Native Americans, fisheries, forests, wildlife, public lands, national parks, mining & minerals
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: civil service, District of Columbia, the census, the Postal Service, public records
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page. See also investigations.
Committee on Rules: rules and order of business for the House
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page. See also How Congress Works at the bottom of the page.
Committee on Science and Technology: NASA, National Science Foundation, National Weather Service, science & energy research generally
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Small Business: assistance to small business, financial aid, government procurement & contracts
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: largely self explanatory.
What's available is on the home page.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: the Coast Guard, transportation generally, federal buildings
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page except subcommittees.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: compensation, education, rehabilitation, pensions, hospitals, cemetaries
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Ways and Means: tax policy, revenue generally, customs, Social Security
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page



p THE SENATE
For a complete listing of each committee's jurisdiction, go to the rules page on jurisdictions.
For the texts of committee hearings and other committee publications go to the GPO's Congressional Committee Materials.


Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee: agriculture generally, forests & wilderness, food stamps, home economics
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page except subcommittees.
Committee on Appropriations: appropriation of revenues for the government
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Armed Services: defense and military, research, pay, promotion & retirement, Panama Canal
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs: banks and financial institutions, Federal Reserve, urban housing & mass transit
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Budget Committee: evaluates legislation & taxation relevant to their impact on the budget
The Budget Comittee's site is split between Democrats and Republicans.
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation: transportation & navigation, science research, interstate commerce
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: energy & mining policy, conservation & research, national parks & public lands
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Environment and Public Works: environmental policy, highways, bridges, dams, fisheries & wildlife
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Ethics: Senate ethics manual, public finance disclosure, Senate travel, Code of Official Conduct, blind trusts
Committee on Finance: Taxes, debt, Social Security, customs, trade & tariffs
committees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page except subcommittees.
Committee on Foreign Relations: embassies, diplomatic corps, foreign loans & assistance, treaties, citizens abroad, IMF
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Homeland Security, census, Postal Service, civil service, organization of Congress & Executive, archives
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available on the bottom of its home page
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: wages & hours, public health, arts & humanities, biomedical research
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Indian Affairs: Native American policy
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Intelligence: oversight of intelligence, legality and effectiveness
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on the Judiciary: federal courts & judges, bankruptcy, immigration & naturalization, patents, Constitution
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Rules and Administration: federal elections, congressional organization, Library of Congress & Smithsonian
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Small Business Administration
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: compensation, pensions, health, rehabilitation, hospitals, cemetaries
Commitees, calendars and legislation are available from its home page



p JOINT COMMITTEES
Joint Committee on Printing
Joint Economic Committee

Composed of members of the House and the Senate, the Joint Economic Committee reviews economic conditions and makes recommendations on economic policy. The web site reflects the views of the majority party when the same party has control of both the House and Senate. See "minority" for the opposing point of view. The site providesinformation on the economy and numerous economic charts.

Joint Committee on Taxation

Composed of members of the House Committee on Ways & Means and the Senate Finance Committee, the Joint Committee on Taxation oversees the operation of internal revenue taxes, proposes change in those taxes, and provides the official revenue estimation for all tax legislation.



p LEGISLATIVE AGENCIES
Congressional Budget Office

Provides both houses of Congress with economic and budgetary analysis relevant to the budget process. Because it serves both the Senate and the House, and is necessarily bi-partisan, the CBO is considered a highly objective source of economic information.

Government Accountability Office

The investigative agency of the U.S. Congress, its mission is to ensure compliance with and accountability to the laws passed by the Legislature, to evaluate government programs, and to formulate programs to improve government.

Government Printing Office

The focal point for printing, binding, and information dissemination for the entire Federal community. Important to the citizen researcher is GPO Access, which provides a plethora of federal documents on line in its A to Z Resource List.

The Library of Congress
The vast collections of the nation's library. Especially useful are the American Memory and Global Gateway projects.
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
The commission advises Congress on issues related to Medicare.
National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare
A temporary commission which submitted its report in 1999.
Office of Technology Assessment
The OTA was abolished in 1995, however we include it by way of commentary on the evolution of Congress.



p CONGRESSIONAL ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONING
Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives
All the House's business including member directory, schedule, bills' summaries and status and record of votes.
Congressional Research Service Reports
A full page of documents which define and regulate the workings of, primarily, the House of representatives.
Legislative Histories
A smorgasbord of legislative history and information created by the University of Michigan.
Senate Virtual Reference Desk
"A clearinghouse of Senate information on the Web and guides to resources in libraries and archives."


p HISTORY AND ARCHIVES
The Architect of the Capitol
History, architecture and visitor information, including a map of the Capitol complex.
Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress
Short bios of everyone who has served.
Birth of the Nation: The First Federal Congress
George Washington University's documentary history of the Congress that created the Constitution.
C-Span Capital History Project
Floor plan, photo gallery, video, virtual tours, famous speeches and useful links.
Legislative Histories
A smorgasbord of legislative history and information created by the University of Michigan.
U.S. Capitol Historical Society
Tours and events. Links to historical documents, and a collection of photographs and artwork.
U.S. Senate Virtual Tour



p NEWS AND MEDIA
C-Span Capitol Spotlight
In conjunction with Congressional Quarterly, up-to-date news from Congress.
C-Span 110th Congress
News and a valuable selection of web resources.
CongressOL
Part of PoliticsOL, an exceptionally rich source of news and information on Congress, its legislation and members.
Congress Votes Database
A record of every vote and who voted since 1991 from The Washington Post.
FedNet
A privately-held news company providing real-time access to Congress and the White House.
Roll Call
The "Newspaper of Capitol Hill": you have to subscribe.
The Hill
Another newspaper of Capitol Hill: you dont have to subscribe.


p LEADERSHIP & PARTIES
Senator Harry Reid: Senate Majority Leader
Senator Mitch McConnell: Senate Minority Leader.
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi: Speaker of the House
Congressman John Boehner: House Minority Leader
House Republican Conference
House Policy Committee (Republican)
House Democratic Leadership Page
Senate Republican Policy Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Senatorial Committee


p OTHER LINKS
Center on Congress at Indiana University

Currently headed by former Congressman Lee Hamiton, the Center seeks to inform citizens of the workings of Congress, to deepen their understanding of its importance, and to engage them in the legislative process.

Congress Merge

Offers an interesting array of free services online including a congressional schedule, a listing of all committees and subcommittes, and up-to-date personal profiles of members of Congress.

Congress.org

Non-government porrtal for the House of Representatives and Senate, geared toward connecting citizens with their government at all levels. Learn about current legislation, comment on pending bills, find out how to contact your representatives, learn about candidates, register to vote and post an alert on your own pet issue. An excellent site.

The Dirkson Center

Includes Congress for Kids and Congress in the Classroom, a guide to teaching government.

FedSpending.org

Brought to you by OMB Watch, committed to tracking federal spending through their contracts and grants databases.

FirstGov: Your First Click to the U.S. Government

Official public-access government website. It includes an A to Z list of all government departments and agencies as well as state and local government home pages. Specifically designed to serve the practical needs of citizens.

GovExec.com

The on-line version of Government Executive Magazine, GovExec provides an inside look at the doings of government, including pay rates, the state and workings of government management with special pages for homeland security and defense. The site includes a bill tracker, and a digest of news stories named The Early Bird.

Government Printing Office Access to Legislative Resources

A valuable and impressive window on Congress.

Louisiana State University Federal Agencies Directory

Complete list, arranged alphabetically or hierarchically as you wish.

OMBWatch

Respected investigative and advocative organization for open and accountable government.

USAspending.gov

Tracks federal contracts and grants. See FedSpending above.

VoteNote

From AOL, sends e-mail alerts of votes on recent legislation.

Taxpayers for Common Sense

Tracks law-making with a handy guide to those pesky congressional earmarks.

TechPolitics

Constituency data and key votes for the House of Representatives, including PAC money and redistricting issues. Suspiciously targeted at Republicans.

Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet

Bill summaries, status and texts, the most recent copy of the Congressional Record and committee information. Add to this a list of legislative agencies (extremely useful) and a small library of historical documents. Created by the Library of Congress: an excellent site. See especially "How Congress Makes Laws" for the House of Representatives and the Senate.