Citing Congressional Record (Permanent Edition)
Tip:
This information is related to the permanent edition of the Congressional Record, which is accessed from the Basic, Advanced, and Search by Number forms. For information on citing the daily edition of the Congressional Record, please see this article.Database Information
A citation to the Congressional Record (Permanent Edition) can be to an entire section or to various types of content within a section (such as a quote by a specific speaker, a bill text, or a specific roll call vote), but all citations should include:
- Title - Use the section header from the PDF replica of the original (e.g., Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions)
- Congressional Record volume number (e.g., 141)
- Publication name (Congressional Record)
- Page (e.g., 11288)
- Year (e.g., 1995
- Database name (Text from: Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection)
- Date accessed by the user (e.g., Accessed: date)
Quote by a specific speaker
To cite content quoted by a specific speaker, cite the name of the speaker first.
Note:
The title "Representative" or "Senator" should not be added, but the home state of the speaker should be included.For example:
Edward M. Kennedy (MA). "Additional Sponsors - S. 584." Congressional Record 141 (1995) p. 11291. (Text from: Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection); Accessed: September 30, 2008.
Bill text
The text of a bill can frequently be located in the Congressional Record. If possible, locate the bill number and include it in the citation. In addition, always use the exact page number where the bill text begins. For example:
"Common Sense Legal Standards Reform Act (H.R. 946): Roll Vote No. 136." Congressional Record 141 (1995) p. 11287. (Text from: Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection); Accessed: September 30, 2008.