The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Fully updated with all the latest changes and developments, this thirteenth edition continues to provide readers with a comprehensive introduction to US Congress.

The Gold Standard for Congress Courses for Over Thirty Years Congress and Its Members offers comprehensive coverage of the U.S. Congress and the legislative process by examining the tension between Congress as a lawmaking institution and as a collection of politicians constantly seeking re-election. The highly anticipated Eighteenth Edition considers the 2020 elections, the final years of the Trump administration, and first 100 days of the Biden Administration while discussing the agenda of the new Congress, White House–Capitol Hill relations, party and committee leadership changes, judicial appointments, and partisan polarization, in addition to covering changes to budgeting, campaign finance, lobbying, public attitudes about Congress, reapportionment, rules, and procedures. Always balancing great scholarship with currency, this bestseller features lively case material along with relevant data, charts, exhibits, maps, and photos. New and updated material for the 18th edition includes: Analysis of the 2020 congressional elections, including increased nationalization, regional shifts, and member turnover Data on the diversity of the new Congress in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and professional background Explanation of recent Supreme Court rulings on partisan gerrymandering Overview of the post-2020 census reapportionment of House seats and prospects for partisan gerrymandering Effects of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic on congressional campaigns, election administration, congressional rules and procedures, lobbying, and federal budget politics. The post-2020 politics of organizing a 50-50 Senate and prospects of Senate filibuster reform Congress’s return to earmarks and other adjustments to congressional rules and procedures The Biden administration’s approach to trade and diplomacy and its effects on congressional politics Coverage of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and what it says about Congress′s relationship with the public and its role in American democracy Updated data on public opinion of Congress and Congress′s productivity as a lawmaking institution A new concluding chapter reflecting on Congress’s institutional strengths and weaknesses Fresh examples and illustrations in every chapter relating concepts to recent events and contemporary members

For every issue that arises on the legislative agenda, each member of Congress must make two decisions: What position to take and how active to be. The first has been thoroughly studied. But little is understood about the second. In this landmark book, a leading scholar of congressional studies draws on extensive interviews and congressional documents to uncover when and how members of congress participate at the subcommittee, committee, and floor stages of legislative decision making. Richard L. Hall develops an original theory to account for varying levels of participation across members and issues, within House and Senate, and across pre- and postreform periods of the modern Congress. By closely analyzing behavior on sixty bills in the areas of agriculture, human resources, and commerce, Hall finds that participation at each stage of the legislative process is rarely universal and never equal. On any given issue, most members who are eligible to participate forego the opportunity to do so, leaving a self-selected few to deliberate on the policy. These active members often do not reflect the values and interests evident in their parent chamber. A deeper understanding of congressional participation, the author contends, informs related inquiries into how well members of congress represent constituents' interests, what factors influence legislative priorities, how members gain legislative leverage on specific issues, and how well collective choice in Congress meets democratic standards of representative deliberation.