Order Code 98-406 GOV
Updated March 31, 2008
Publications of the U.S. House of
Representatives
Matthew E. Glassman
Analyst on the Congress
Government and Finance Division
The U.S. House of Representatives produces several publications relating to the
legislative functions of the House.1 They include, but are not limited to, publications
dealing with rules and procedures, bills, anticipated and past legislative activities,
committee matters, and chamber proceedings. This report provides a brief description of
these publications.
Chamber Activity Publications
! The House Journal is the official record of the House used to chronicle
all actions such as motions offered, bills introduced, amendments offered
and agreed to, voting actions, quorums, etc. As required by the
Constitution, the Journal records the official actions of the House for
each legislative day, and is published on a periodic basis. At the
beginning of each legislative day, the House votes to approve the journal
of the preceding legislative day.
! The Congressional Record includes the daily proceedings and debates
in the House (and Senate) chambers. The proceedings of the House are
reflected in the text that is prepared by the official reporters of the House,
who record verbatim each word spoken. Members are also permitted to
submit materials and speeches for inclusion in the Record. The Record
reports all votes, bills introduced, bills reported from committee, and a
wealth of other House, committee, and non-legislative information. (See
CRS Report 98-266, Congressional Record: Its Production, Distribution,
and Accessibility
, and CRS Report 98-265, A User’s Guide to the
Congressional Record
, Mildred Amer.)
! Calendars of the U.S. House of Representatives and History of
Legislation is a compilation of all calendars maintained in the House —
the Corrections Calendar, House Calendar, Private Calendar, and Union
1 This report was originally written by Faye M. Bullock, formerly a Technical Information
Specialist at CRS. The listed author updated the report and is available to answer questions
concerning its contents.

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Calendar. The publication is popularly called the “House Calendar,” and
contains a useful legislative history of each House and Senate bill that
has been reported from a committee. It is prepared and updated under the
direction of the clerk of the House for each day the House is session. (See
CRS Report 98-437, Calendars of the House of Representatives, by
Christopher Davis.)
Procedural Publications
! The House Rules and Manual is published each Congress under the title
Constitution, Jefferson’s Manual, and Rules of the House of
Representatives
, and provides information regarding the rules and
procedures of the House of Representatives. The House Manual is
published during the first session of each Congress, and includes a
synopsis of rulings and precedents.

! House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of
the House summarizes procedures most commonly used in the House
and provides an explanation for those procedures used most often. The
2003 edition was prepared by Parliamentarian Charles W. Johnson.


! Deschler’s Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives identifies
the House precedents and practices of the House from 1936 through
1986. The compilation of volumes 1-9 of this multivolume series was
initially undertaken by the late Parliamentarian Lewis Deschler.
Precedents and practices since 1986 have been published under the title
Deschler-Brown Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives, which
begins with volume 10.

! Hinds’ and Cannons’ Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives
provides an historical overview and in-depth description of House
precedents during the period 1789 through 1936. This multivolume
series was compiled by two House parliamentarians who later became
Congressmen (Clarence A. Cannon, D-MO, and Asher C. Hinds, R-ME).
For additional information on procedural publications, see CRS Report 98-309,
House Legislative Procedures: Published Sources of Information, Betsy Palmer.
Committee Publications
! Hearing Transcripts include the proceedings of House committee
hearings and are published by the committee that held the hearings.
! Committee Prints are produced in various forms for committee
business, such as drafts of legislation and analyses in support of
legislation.
! Committee Reports prepared by committees and published by the House
provide a narrative account of a study or approved measure. They

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include the history and explanation of committee approved measure,
funding ramifications, and changes made in existing law.
Other Publications
! House Documents contain original or historical documents statutorily
authorized for production in this manner or otherwise of importance for
House business, such as messages of the President.
! Statement of Disbursements of the House is compiled quarterly by the
chief administrative officer, and includes expenditures, receipts and other
costs incurred by the House.