[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12094]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE CENTENNIAL OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 15, 2014

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an anniversary that all 
the Members of this House surely ought to celebrate. On July 18, 1914--
one hundred years ago this Friday--the Congressional Research Service 
came into being. Ever since, it has provided Members on both sides of 
the aisle with important analysis, research assistance, and expertise 
on virtually every topic relating to our work on behalf of the American 
people.
  The Congressional Research Service, known as the Legislative Research 
Service for its first fifty-six years, was the brainchild of Senator 
Robert LaFollette Sr. and Rep. John Nelson, both from Wisconsin. In the 
Progressive Era, reformers like Sen. LaFollette and Rep. Nelson sought 
to make government more responsive by providing Members of Congress 
with greater access to the latest in scientific research and analytical 
tools. For a century, that is what the Congressional Research Service 
has done--and the men and women who work there have proven beyond a 
doubt the merit behind Sen. LaFollette and Rep. Nelson's proposal.
  After World War II, as Congress's work expanded to meet the needs of 
a growing nation and economy and America's role as a military 
superpower, the Congressional Research Service adapted by hiring 
experts to provide briefings and answer Members' questions. So many 
Members and their staffs have come to rely on the timely responses from 
Congressional Research Service personnel on pending bills, legislative 
history, and issue tracking. Those who work at the Congressional 
Research Service continue to play an extraordinarily important role in 
Congress's work.
  In my thirty-three years in this House, the Congressional Research 
Service has provided me with absolutely essential research on the 
legislative interests I have pursued. My work on the 1990 Americans 
with Disabilities Act, the 2002 Help America Vote Act, the 2008 ADA 
Amendments Act, federal employee and civil service issues, and a wide 
range of constituent questions have all been aided immeasurably by 
Congressional Research Service reports and analysis.
  As it begins its second century, the Congressional Research Service 
is adapting to new technologies to improve the way it keeps Members of 
Congress informed. Through social media, online research tools, and 
reports accessible by internet twenty-four hours a day, it continues to 
carry out its mission in a way its founders never could have imagined--
but for which they would surely be proud.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in thanking the Congressional 
Research Service's diverse workforce of over 600 researchers, analysts, 
attorneys, support staff, and information professionals for their 
tireless work in service to our nation.

                          ____________________