WASHINGTON—The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has been producing the Congressional Record since 1873. With origins in the requirement of Article I of the Constitution that "Congress shall keep a journal of its proceedings…and from time to time publish the same," the Congressional Record contains the proceedings and debates of the Senate and House of Representatives. It has been called "a symbol of our democracy through which the people may observe the making of their laws and may hold their lawmakers accountable for their words and deeds."
Throughout GPO’s history, its employees have adapted to the various needs of Congress and technology changes to produce this important publication in both online and print formats. Whenever Congress is in session, GPO employees in a matter of hours take those debates and turn stacks of manuscript into the digital files that are then made available online via GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and in print. Technology changes over the past generation have reduced the cost of this publication by more than two thirds, and today the vast majority of the cost to produce it — nearly 70% — is in the creation of the digital file for dissemination online and in print. For those print copies needed by Congress, Federal agencies, and the public, production is on 100% recycled newsprint with vegetable oil-based ink.
Watch a short video on the steps GPO employees go through to produce the Congressional Record during the early morning hours:
With 2,200 employees, GPO is the Federal Government’s primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in digital and tangible forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. In addition to publication sales, GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov. Follow GPO on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/USGPO Twitter http://twitter.com/USGPO and on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/gpoprinter.