The legislative branch confirms or rejects presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court Justices. This branch also drafts proposed laws and has the authority to declare war. The legislative branch includes: Congress (made up of the Senate and House of Representatives), special agencies, and offices that provide support services to Congress.
"All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." - Constitution of the United States of America, Article I, Section I.
Congress.gov - The official website for U. S. federal legislative information, presented by the Library of Congress. (93rd Congress, 1974-1974 to current)
FDsys.gov - The federal government's official, authenticated resource for online information from all three branches.
Law Library of Congress - The site for the Law Library of Congress.
Bills
Congress.gov Bill Summary - Bill summary and status from 93rd Congress, 1973; bill text available from 103rd Congress, 1993
FDsys - Bill text available from 103rd Congress, 1993
House and Senate Bills and Resolutions - House bills and resolutions from 6th (1799) to 42nd (1873) Congresses; Senate bills and resolutions from 16th (1819) to 42nd (1873) Congresses
Hearings
Congress.gov Select Testimony - Select testimony available from the 104th Congress (1995) to the present
FDsys Hearings - Select testimony available from 99th Congress, 1985 to present
Committee Reports
FDsys Congress Reports - Congressional Reports, 104th Congress 1995/1996 to present
Congress.gov Reports - 104th Congress 1995/1996 to current
Congressional Documents - 94th Congress, 1975 to present
U. S. Serial Set - provides selected coverage of committee reports from the 23rd (1833) to the 64th (1917) Congresses
Debates
Congress.gov Debates - Debates from 104th Congress, 1995 to present
FDsys Daily - Daily Edition, 1994 to present
FDsys Congressional Record Index - Index from 98th Congress, 1983
History of Bills - 98th Congress, 1983 to present. The History of Bills list legislative actions on bills that are reported in the Congressional Record. In print it is part of the Congressional Record Index, but appears as a separate collection on FDsys.
Government Publishing Office - Contains the History of Bills from the 98th Congress, 1983-84 to the present
Annals of Congress - From 1789 - 1825
Register of Debates - From 1824 to 1839
Congressional Globe - From 1833 to 1873
Committee Prints
FDsys Prints - From 102nd Congress, 1975 forward and 94th Congress, 1975
Slip Laws
Statutes at Large
FDsys Statutes - From 82nd Congress, 1951 to present
Law Library of Congress Statutes - Vol. 1, 1789 - Vol. 64, 1950
United States Code
Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives - Current
Cornell Legal Information Institute - Current
U. S. Code Popular Name Tables
U. S. House of Representative's Popular Name Tool
U. S. House of Representatives - Information on Representatives, House leadership, committees, Legislative activity, and the House explained.
U. S. Senate - Information about Senators, Committees, legislation and records, art and history, and reference sources.
Congressional Committees - The links below contain information regarding Congressional Committees
Legislative Process - The video and links below contain information on the Legislative Process.
How Our Laws Are Made - U. S. House of Representatives Parliamentarian
How Laws Are Made and How to Research Them
Members of Congress
Congressional Directory - The official directory of the U. S. Congress
Members of the U. S. Congress - 93rd to current
Biographical Directory of the U. S. Congress - 1774 to present
Dates of Sessions of Congress