Congressional Research Service In Depth

The Congressional Research Committee is essentially the research branch of the United States Congress. The Congressional Research Committee works closely with the Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional Accountability Office. Together, these three offices bring important information regarding money, policy and various endeavors together, in order to give congress a full picture of what they are allowed to do, and how the programs that they have implemented are working.

The Congressional Research Committee is comprised by a number of professional bodies: scientists, librarians, economists, lawyers, and various other professionals. These professionals can be called forth by congressional committees when it comes to the necessity of help regarding what has been implemented in the past, and what types of programs can legally be implemented now.

By having congressional committees consult lawyers, economists, and reference librarians beforehand, the government can make sure that the congressional committees are operating under their legal rights, and are not infringing upon the rights of the American Public.
It is important to understand that what the Congressional Research Committee does is it simply brings together well-versed and informed professionals in order to keep all information accessible to the congressional committees. The Congressional Research Committee does not influence policy or ask for new policies, they merely inform the committees of the American public’s condition, and necessity for policy, based on the type of policy that is being looked into. The actual policy crafters are the congressional committees, and they are the only ones who can bring these policies to the floor.

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