About Our Records
Records of Congress
The Center for Legislative Archives holds the historically valuable records of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, including the official Committee records, all of which remain the legal property of the House and Senate. These records are arranged primarily by Congress, thereunder by committee, and then by type of record series.
The Center applies the rules of access for congressional records, as determined by the House and the Senate.
The Center for Legislative Archives holds the:
- Records of U.S. House of Representatives committees and administrative / support offices (RG 233)
- Records of U.S. Senate committees and administrative / support offices (RG 46)
- Records of Joint Committees of the U.S. Congress (RG 128)
Legislative Branch Organizations
The Center also holds records from legislative branch organizations, such as the Congressional Budget Office (RG 520), the Office of Technology Assessment (RG 444), and the Government Accountability Office (RG 411).
Legislative Commissions
The Center also holds records from legislative branch commissions (RG 148). Each commission determines its own access policy—some are open soon after transfer to the Center, others remained closed for a longer period. The most frequently requested legislative commission is the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also known as the 9/11 Commission).
Special Collections
To supplement the official records of Congress, the Center maintains the following special collections:
- Clifford K. Berryman Political Cartoon Collection (U.S. Senate Collection)
- Oral History and Research Interviews (U.S. Senate Collection)
- Richard F. Fenno, Jr. Research Interview Notes
- Issac Bassett Manuscript Collection
Research Room
The Center for Legislative Archives is located in the National Archives building in downtown Washington, DC. For directions and information about conducting research, visit Information for Researchers at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
In the East Search Room on the second floor, the Center maintains published source material on Congress, including the Journals of the House and Senate, the Congressional Record (and its predecessor publications), the Statutes at Large, the CIS Indexes, as well as other published works on the history of Congress.
Getting Started with Your Research
Visit the Getting Started with Your Research section of our website for more information about what congressional records are available online, how to access legislative records in person, and where to find research guides. If you have any questions, please email legislative.archives@nara.gov.