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Representatives and Senators: Trends in Member Characteristics Since 1945

Description: Questions about the characteristics of Members of Congress, including their age, education, previous occupations, and other descriptors, are of ongoing interest to Members, congressional staff, and constituents. Some of these questions may be asked in the context of representation, in efforts to evaluate the extent to which Members of Congress reflect their constituencies and the nation at large. In other instances, questions arise about how the characteristics of Members have changed over time… more
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Membership of the 115th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 115th Congress (2017-2018) as of January 4, 2017. 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: February 17, 2017
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Planning: Considerations for Congressional Staff

Description: The Congressional Research Service frequently receives inquiries about legislative planning. Legislative and office action plans are often used by congressional offices for almost every significant project, from organizing an extensive conference in the district or state to introducing and guiding legislation. A major action plan requires a firm understanding of the project's goal, a research strategy, and a time line for completing the project. This report presents some of the factors usually … more
Date: August 17, 2010
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Criminal Restitution Proposals in the 110th Congress

Description: Restitution legislation in the 110th Congress falls into three categories. Some proposals, such as the gang crime bills, create new federal crimes or amend specific existing federal offenses and in doing so include restitution provisions particular to those offenses. Other proposals address a particular aspect of the law such as abatement which limits restitution collection after the defendant's death.
Date: August 17, 2007
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Violence Against Members of Congress and Their Staff: Selected Examples and Congressional Responses

Description: This report describes legislation introduced in the 112th Congress related to violence against Members and congressional staff, provides examples of violence in which Members of Congress were the apparent target, and some actions Congress has taken based in part on those incidents.
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric & Manning, Jennifer E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Committee System Rules Changes in the House, 108th Congress

Description: This fact sheet details changes in the committee system contained in H. Res. 5, the rules of the House for the 108th Congress, adopted by the House January 7, 2003. It contains information on the committee organization and structure, committee procedure, and committee staff.
Date: January 17, 2003
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Congressional Budget Process Timetable

Description: The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 established the congressional budget process, which coordinates the legislative activities on the budget resolution, appropriations bills, reconciliation legislation, revenue measures, and other budgetary legislation. This report provides a timetable in which the congressional budget process takes place.
Date: July 17, 2003
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
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: September 17, 2003
Creator: Gerli, Merete F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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A User's Guide to the Congressional Record

Description: The Congressional Record is a substantially verbatim account of remarks made during the proceedings of the House and Senate, subject only to technical, grammatical, and typographical corrections. It consists of four main sections: the proceedings of the House and Senate, the Extensions of Remarks, and the Daily Digest. This fact sheet is one of a series on the legislative process.
Date: July 17, 2003
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The President's State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications

Description: This report explores the President's State of the Union Address, in which the President reports to Congress on the current conditions of the United States and provides policy proposals for the upcoming legislative year. This report also discusses the State of the Union's considerable evolution over time.
Date: November 17, 2010
Creator: Shogan, Colleen J. & Neale, Thomas H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Digital Television: An Overview

Description: This report provides an overview about Digital Television.Digital Television is a new telivision service representing the most significant development in telivision technology since the advent of color telivision.
Date: October 17, 2005
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Discharge Rule in the House: Recent Use in Historical Context

Description: The discharge rule of the House of Representatives affords a way for Members to bring to the floor a measure not reported from committee. Before a motion to discharge may be made, 218 Members must sign a petition for that purpose. This report provides summary data on discharge petitions filed since adoption of the present form of discharge rule in 1931. It also identifies the 32 occasions since 1967 on which a committee report or floor action occurred on a measure against which a petition was f… more
Date: April 17, 2003
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Proposals to Amend the Senate Cloture Rule

Description: Paragraph 2 of Senate Rule XXII, also known as the “cloture rule,” was adopted in 1917. It established a procedure, amended several times over the intervening years, by which the Senate may limit debate and act on a pending measure or matter. Aside from unanimous consent agreements, cloture is the only way the Senate can limit debate.
Date: February 17, 2005
Creator: Davis, Christopher M. & Palmer, Betsy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Compensatory Time vs. Cash Wages: Amending the Fair Labor Standards Act?

Description: Since the mid-1980s, certain employer-oriented groups and individuals have urged amendment of the Fair Labor Standards Act to alter current overtime pay requirements. This report contains information on the structure of the issue, compensatory time proposals of the 108th Congress, issues in the debate, and more relating to the issue.
Date: July 17, 2006
Creator: Whittaker, William G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Kosovo's Future Status and U.S. Policy

Description: The future status of Kosovo is the most sensitive and potentially destabilizing political question in the Balkans. The Administration views "getting Kosovo right" as key to integrating the Balkans into Euro-Atlantic institutions. This report discusses the issue of Kosovo's future status; that is, whether it should become an independent country or continue to be part of Serbia, but with a large degree of autonomy.
Date: July 17, 2006
Creator: Woehrel, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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