Congressional Research Service

Background
In 1914, Congress passed legislation to establish a separate department within the Library of Congress. President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill into law, and the Congressional Research Service (CRS), then called the Legislative Reference Service, was born to serve the legislative needs of the Congress.

With the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, Congress renamed the agency the Congressional Research Service and significantly expanded its statutory obligations. The services provided today by CRS are a direct result of congressional directives and guidance.

Mission
CRS is committed to supporting an informed national legislature &mdash; by developing creative approaches to policy analysis, anticipating legislative needs and responding to specific requests from legislators in a timely manner. The CRS provides analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective and nonpartisan.