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Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: November 24, 2014
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Leaving Congress: House of Representatives and Senate Departures Data Since 198

Description: Members of Congress leave the House or Senate for a variety of reasons; these may include resignation, death, or chamber action during a Congress, and retirement, electoral defeat, or pursuit of another office at the end of a Congress. This report discusses the number of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives who have left before the conclusion of a Congress since 1989.
Date: September 24, 2010
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.; Reynolds, Parker H. & Petersen, R. Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Member Organizations: Their Purpose and Activities, History, and Formation

Description: This report examines the purpose and activities of Committee on House Administration as congressional Member organizations (CMO) and the reasons Members form them. It also identifies and describes seven CMO types, and it provides an overview of the historical development of informal Member organizations since the first Congress, focusing on their regulation in the House by the Committee on House Oversight/Committee on House Administration, the rise and fall of legislative service organizations … more
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Gerrity, Jessica C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2011

Description: This report identifies the names, committee assignments, dates of service, and (for Representatives) congressional districts of the 274 women who have served in Congress.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.; Shogan, Colleen J. & Smelcer, Susan Navarro
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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FY2014 Continuing Resolutions: Overview of Components

Description: This report summarizes the components of the four FY2014 continuing resolutions. They include P.L. 113-39 (Pay Our Military Act), P.L. 113-44 (Department of Defense Survivor Benefits Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014), P.L. 113-46 (Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014), and P.L. 113-73 (Making Further Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014, and for Other Purposes).
Date: February 24, 2014
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Grants Work in a Congressional Office

Description: Members of Congress often get requests from constituents for information and help in obtaining funds for projects. Many state and local governments, nonprofit social service and community action organizations, private research groups, small businesses, and individuals approach congressional offices to find out about funding, both from the federal government and from the private sector. The success rate in obtaining federal assistance is not high, given the competition for federal funds. A grant… more
Date: January 24, 1997
Creator: Gerli, Merete
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Monuments and Memorials in the District of Columbia: Analysis and Options for Proposed Exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act

Description: This report focuses on options for Congress for three types of exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act (CWA, 40 U.S.C. §§8901-8909): siting works, donor recognition, and the placement and status of museums, which are generally not considered commemorative works.
Date: September 24, 2013
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses policy issues for Congress to address regarding exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are common ways for Americans to invest. An ETF is an investment vehicle that, similar to a mutual fund, offers public investors shares of a pool of assets; unlike a mutual fund, however, an ETF can be traded on exchanges like a stock.
Date: September 24, 2018
Creator: Su, Eva
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Rules in the 115th Congress: Key Provisions

Description: This report first provides a brief overview of Senate rules as they pertain to committee actions. The report then provides tables that summarize selected, key features of each committee's rules in regard to meeting day, hearing and meeting notice requirements, scheduling of witnesses, hearing quorum, business quorum, amendment filing requirements, proxy voting, polling, nominations, investigations, and subpoenas. In addition, the report looks at selected unique provisions some committees have i… more
Date: July 24, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources

Description: This report discusses House and Senate rules and guidelines, laws, and regulations affecting congressional casework, as well as the role of caseworkers. It also provides sample outlines and document templates for implementing and managing congressional casework.
Date: November 24, 2014
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Rules Affecting Committees

Description: This report identifies and summarizes the provisions of the Senate's standing rules, standing orders, precedents, and other directives that relate to legislative activity in the Senate's standing committees. It covers four main issues: committee organization, committee meetings, hearings, and reporting.
Date: March 24, 2015
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Redistricting and the Voting Rights Act: A Legal Overview

Description: This report provides a legal overview of Section 2 of the VRA, a key provision affecting congressional redistricting, and selected Supreme Court case law. It discusses Sections 4 and 5, and the recent Supreme Court decision holding Section 4(b) unconstitutional, Shelby County v. Holder. Section 4 contained a coverage formula that identified states and jurisdictions that were required to gain federal approval or "preclearance" to proposed redistricting plans under Section 5. The report also prov… more
Date: February 24, 2014
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Special Order Speeches and Other Forms of Non-Legislative Debate in the House

Description: This report briefly discusses non-legislative debate in the House of Representatives, specifically special order speeches, one-minute speeches, and morning hour debate. The purpose of these practices is to permit Members to address the House for specified durations and at specified times of their own choosing, outside the consideration of legislative business.
Date: November 24, 2010
Creator: Palmer, Betsy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Committee Hearings: The “Minority Witness Rule”

Description: This report discusses the "minority witness rule." When a Senate committee, other than the Appropriations Committee, holds a hearing, the minority party members of the panel have the right to call witnesses of their choosing to testify during at least one day of that hearing.
Date: April 24, 2007
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations

Description: This report considers the Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The report compares and contrasts the Senate and House versions of the bill in terms of budgeting. Moreover, both bills reject the termination of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
Date: November 24, 2006
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.; Hanrahan, Charles E.; Chite, Ralph M.; Cowan, Tadlock; Rawson, Jean M.; Zinn, Jeffrey A. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Electing the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report briefly poses and answers several "frequently asked questions" in relation to the floor proceedings used to elect a Speaker of the House. Current practice for electing a Speaker, either at the start of a Congress or in the event of a vacancy (e.g., death or resignation), is by roll-call vote, during which Members state aloud the name of their preferred candidate. Members may vote for any individual. If no candidate receives a majority of votes cast, balloting continues; in subsequen… more
Date: April 24, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress

Description: Conferees on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, began meeting July 14, 2005, and are predicting that the conference will be completed July 25. The Senate passed its version of the bill June 28, and the House passed its version April 21. The Senate and House bills are similar, but major differences exist, including the following areas: ethanol and methyl tertiary-butyl ether, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, electricity restructuring, renewable energy, climate change, tax provisions, outer c… more
Date: June 24, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Policy: Comprehensive Energy Legislation (H.R. 6, S. 10) in the 109th Congress

Description: Conferees on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, began meeting July 14, 2005, and are predicting that the conference will be completed July 25. The Senate passed its version of the bill June 28, and the House passed its version April 21. The Senate and House bills are similar, but major differences exist, including the following areas: ethanol and methyl tertiary-butyl ether, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, electricity restructuring, renewable energy, climate change, tax provisions, outer c… more
Date: June 24, 2005
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L. & Behrens, Carl E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Floor Procedure in the House of Representatives: A Brief Overview

Description: The House considers bills and resolutions on the floor under several different sets of procedures governing the time for debate and the opportunities for amendment. Some procedures allow 40 or 60 minutes for debate; others permit debate to continue until a majority of Members vote to end it. Some procedures prohibit most or all floor amendments; others allow Members to offer any amendments that meet the requirements of the House’s rules and precedents. Notwithstanding these differences, the rul… more
Date: January 24, 2001
Creator: Bach, Stanley
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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