The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress. They provide comprehensive public policy research for members of Congress, their committees, and staff. CRS produces a variety of document types, including Issue Briefs, Research Memos, and Reports.
CRS Reports are the best way for anyone to quickly get up to speed on major political issues without having to worry about partisan spin — from the same source Congress uses.
In the past, CRS did not distribute its products directly to the public even though they’re paid for with tax dollars, and since they’re produced by the federal government, they aren’t copyrighted or commercially published. Various advocacy groups work to publish them freely online on so they can be accessed by researchers.
In March of 2018, Congress passed legislation making it so all non-confidential reports of the Congressional Research Service must be made publicly available online through a Government Publishing Office website within 90 to 270 days.
Currently, the most efficient way to access current CRS reports is through the website www.everycrsreport.com/
It’s a project from Demand Progress in collaboration with the Congressional Data Coalition.