Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Demystifying Misconceptions about the Congressional Record

 

(Source of the image: U.S. Congress. (1913, October 3). Congressional Record (63rd Cong., 1st sess.)


The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. When Congress is in session, the Congressional Record is published daily. The first Congressional Record was first published in 1873 and is still published to this day! Wow, that’s about 153 years of record-keeping information!


Does that mean there are no recordings of Congress proceedings and debates prior to 1873?


Not quite! There are recordings of Congress proceedings and debates even before 1873 but they’re not classified as the Congressional Record. The names varied depending on the time period, as seen below:


  • The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824)

  • Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837)

  • Congressional Globe (1833-1873)


These old records can all be accessed digitally through the official U.S. Government Information website at A Century of Lawmaking For a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates (1774-1875). If you prefer to browse and read these large volumes in print, consider visiting a local Federal Depository Library, which may hold paper copies. Or your local library offers interlibrary loan (ILL) services, you can also search its online catalog and request a certain volume through ILL. Alternatively, you may visit a Federal Depository Library and consult a federal depository coordinator for access assistance.


A common misconception about the Congressional Record is that they only contain texts of pure transcript and legislative text. However, this isn’t true at all. In fact, e.g. the 63rd Congressional Record (1913–1915) features a cartoon about Senator Benjamin Tillman’s “allegorical cow” (see the image above). Western and Southern farmers are shown to be feeding the cow, which represents national resources, while bankers in New York and New England are shown to be drawing away the golden milk. Try exploring the Congressional Record collection today to see what other cartoons—or any other unusual items—you can discover.


(By Andrea Nguyen, Kelley Center Student Staff, B.S. Bioengineering, Rice University, Class of 2028)
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