Congressional Agencies

Agencies that provide support services for Congress

Resources in this category:

Architect of the Capitol
http://www.aoc.gov/

"The Architect of the Capitol is responsible to the United States Congress for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex, which includes the Capitol, the congressional office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, the Supreme Court building, the U.S. Botanic Garden, the Capitol Power Plant, and other facilities."

Congressional Budget Office
http://www.cbo.gov/

"CBO aims to provide the Congress with the objective, timely, nonpartisan analyses needed for economic and budget decisions and with the information and estimates required for the Congressional budget process." Publications include briefs, letters, studies & reports, technical papers, and testimonies on topics including homeland security, education, health, social security, and the environment. Cost estimates for proposed legislation are also provided.

Government Accountability Office (the GAO)
http://www.gao.gov/

" The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an agency that works for Congress and the American people. Congress asks GAO to study the programs and expenditures of the federal government. GAO, commonly called the investigative arm of Congress or the congressional watchdog, is independent and nonpartisan. It studies how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars." Resources on this site include reports and testimonies and FraudNET, a tool to enable the reporting of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of federal funds.

Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/

"The Library of Congress is using the World Wide Web (WWW) to present information about and materials from its collections over the Internet." It's also possible to view Internet exhibits that cover American history, get legislative information, access resources for researchers and information professionals, and find out more about the Library of Congress and what it does. Instructions for searching the Library of Congress catalogs are available in English or Spanish.

Office of Compliance, U.S. Congress
http://www.compliance.gov/

"The Office of Compliance advances safety, health, and workplace rights in the U.S. Congress and the Legislative Branch. Established as an independent agency by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, the Office educates employees and employing offices about their rights and responsibilities under the Act, provides an impartial dispute resolution process, and investigates and remedies violations of the Act."

Stennis Center for Public Service
http://www.stennis.gov/

"The Stennis Center for Public Service is a federal, legislative branch agency created by Congress in 1988 to promote and strengthen public service leadership in America. Programs of the Stennis Center are funded through an endowment plus private contributions from foundations and corporations. The Stennis Center’s mandate is to attract young people to careers in public service, to provide training for leaders in or likely to be in public service, and to offer development opportunities for senior congressional staff. Products of the Stennis Center include conferences, seminars, special projects, and leadership development programs."

United States Botanic Garden
http://www.usbg.gov/

"The United States Botanic Garden traces its beginning to 1816, when the constitution of the Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences in Washington, D.C., proposed the creation of a botanic garden to collect, grow, and distribute plants of this and other countries that might contribute to the welfare of the American people." Today the website for this facility includes photographs of rare and endangered plants, a virtual tour, and information about current and past progams at the Garden.