Congressional Research Service
From Ballotpedia
| Congressional Research Service | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Affiliation: | U.S. Congress |
| Top official: | Director Mary B. Mazanec |
| Year founded: | 1914 |
| Employees: | 600 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), often known as "Congress's think tank," is a branch of the Library of Congress.[1] The agency, overseen by the Joint Committee on the Library, aims to provide high-quality research and analysis to members of Congress on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues. Furthermore, members of Congress may freely and confidentially consult with CRS professionals and make research requests at any time.[2]
Mission
On its website, CRS describes its mission in the following way:[3]
| “ | To serve Congress with the highest quality of research, analysis, information and confidential consultation to support the exercise of its legislative, representational and oversight duties in its role as a coequal branch of government.[4] | ” |
History
In 1914, Congress and President Woodrow Wilson passed legislation establishing the Legislative Reference Service within the Library of Congress. The department was renamed to the Congressional Research Service in 1970 with passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act. The service's responsibilities expanded significantly after this reorganization.[3]
Work
| Administrative State |
|---|
|
| Read more about the administrative state on Ballotpedia. |
CRS only works for Congress, and exchanges between members of Congress and CRS professionals are considered strictly confidential.[2] In general, Congressional Research Service reports can only be obtained through members of Congress, and the organization has resisted efforts from open-government groups and even some legislators to make all of its materials publicly available online. However, according to The Washington Post, "U.S. government entities and nongovernmental entities, the media and foreign governments, like embassies" are often granted access to CRS reports.[1] A number of free, online databases that collect CRS materials exist.
Structure
According to its website, the Congressional Research Service employs more than 400 analysts, attorneys, and other research personnel. In addition to the Knowledge Services Group, which employs information professionals who provide research support to CRS policy experts, the agency is organized into five research divisions:[5]
- American law
- Domestic social policy
- Foreign affairs, defense and trade
- Government and finance
- Resources, science and industry
In total, CRS employs approximately 600 people, with about 200 administrative and support staff. The agency's five research divisions are managed and supported by the following offices:[6]
- Office of the Director
- Office of Administrative Operations
- Counselor to the Director
- Office of Legislative Information Services
- Office of Publishing
Leadership
The Congressional Research Service is led by Interim Director Robert R. Newlen and Deputy Director T.J. Halstead. These positions are appointed by the Librarian of Congress with advice from the Joint Committee on the Library.[7]
Budget
CRS is a program administered by the Library of Congress. The following table lists the approximate annual expenses on the Congressional Research Service program for fiscal years 2021 and 2022:[8]
| Annual expenses of the Congressional Research Service, 2021-2022 | |
|---|---|
| Fiscal Year | Net Program Costs |
| 2022 | $42,136,000 |
| 2021 | $41,785,000 |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Congressional Research Service' CRS. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Congress
- United States Congress Joint Committee on the Library
- List of current members of the U.S. Congress
External links
- CRS homepage on the Library of Congress website
- CRS on social media:
- Links to online archives of CRS Reports:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Washington Post, "You'd Know if You Were Congressional," March 22, 2007
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Library of Congress, "CRS Careers: Values," accessed June 16, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Library of Congress, "CRS Careers: History and Mission," accessed February 21, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Library of Congress, "CRS Careers: Areas of Research," accessed February 21, 2024
- ↑ Library of Congress, "CRS Careers: Organizational Structure," accessed February 21, 2024
- ↑ Library of Congress, "CRS Careers: Office of the Director," accessed February 21, 2024
- ↑ Library of Congress, "Library of Congress - Financial Statements Report," accessed February 21, 2024
| Influencers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main |  |
