Federal Depository Library

Agencies That Support Congress

• Architect of the Capitol (AOC)
In 1791, George Washington appointed three commissioners to provide suitable buildings and accommodations for Congress. In 1867, the first official use of the title 'Architect of the Capitol' referred to both the person and the agency. The AOC is the builder and steward of landmark buildings and grounds of Capitol Hill.
• Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
ince 1975, CBO has produced independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency’s economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation.
• Congressional Research Service (CRS)
CRS serves as shared staff to congressional committees and members of Congress at every stage of the legislative process.
• Copyright Office
Created in 1897, he Copyright Office is responsible for administering a complex and dynamic set of laws, which include registration, the recordation of title and licenses, a number of statutory licensing provisions, and other aspects of the 1976 Copyright Act and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. By statute, the Register of Copyrights is the principal advisor to Congress on national and international copyright matters, testifying upon request and providing ongoing leadership and impartial expertise on copyright law and policy.
• Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Often called the "congressional watchdog," GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.
• Government Publishing Office (GPO)
The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is the Federal Government’s official, digital, secure resource for producing, procuring, Discoverying, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government. GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through our govinfo (https://www.govinfo.gov/), partnerships with approximately 1,150 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program, and a secure online bookstore.
• Library of Congress (LOC)
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.
• Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC)
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is a non-partisan legislative branch agency that provides policy and data analysis and makes recommendations to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the states on a wide array of issues affecting Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
• Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC)
MEDPAC is a nonpartisan legislative branch agency that provides the U.S. Congress with analysis and policy advice on the Medicare program.
• Open World Leadership Center
The mission of the Open World Leadership Center, an arm of the U.S. Congress, is to introduce rising leaders of emerging countries to the importance of legislative functions in creating and sustaining democracies. This is done through the introduction of young foreign leaders to the American democratic governing systems and free market operations at every level: federal, state, and local. The Center also maintains a continuing relationship with the network of leaders it has enlisted, especially with those from countries crucial to American national security interests.
• Stennis Center for Public Service Leadership
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. The Stennis Center is headquartered in Starkville, Mississippi, adjacent to Mississippi State University and has an office on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Programs of the Stennis Center are funded through an endowment plus private contributions from foundations and corporations.
• U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG)
Established by the U.S. Congress in 1820, the U.S. Botanic Garden is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America. Since 1934, it has been administered through the Architect of the Capitol. Steeped in history, rich with tradition, the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) is a living plant museum that informs visitors about the importance, and often irreplaceable value, of plants to the well-being of humans and to earth's fragile ecosystems.