Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) and Informal Member Groups

Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) and Informal Member Groups

INSIGHTi

Congressional Member Organizations
(CMOs) and Informal Member Groups
Updated March 21, 2023
In addition to party organizations and committees, Members of the House and Senate often participate in
informal Member organizations. Hundreds of informal Member organizations—which are commonly
referred to as caucuses, working groups, or task forces—have typically existed in each recent session of
Congress. In this Insight, these groups are collectively described as informal Member organizations to
avoid confusion with official party caucuses. Additional information can be found in CRS Report
R40683, Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) and Informal Member Groups: Their Purpose
and Activities, History, and Formation.
Informal Member organizations are formed for a variety of reasons, usually associated with Members’
policy objectives or representational considerations. These groups can enable Members to raise awareness
about a particular topic and exchange information or ideas with colleagues (within or across chambers).
At times, some groups may share legislative or representational interests with the House or Senate at
large, certain party leaders, or particular committees. Yet Member organizations can also create forums
for differing viewpoints, new subjects or policy alternatives, or more particular constituent concerns.
House Informal Member Organizations
House regulations broadly pertaining to individual Members’ activities (including those found in the
House Ethics Manual; Members’ Congressional Handbook; and Rules of the House, including House
Rule XXIII: the House Code of Official Conduct) generally apply to Members’ participation with
informal Member organizations, and certain additional regulations issued by the Committee on House
Administration (CHA) may also apply. A House group may be eligible to register with CHA as a
Congressional Member Organization (CMO), provided that it has at least one House Member as an
officer and meets other requirements (see the CHA website and Members’ Congressional Handbook).
Official CMO status enables House Members to use some limited personal office and House resources in
support of CMO legislative activities, but official resources cannot be used directly to fund a CMO as an
independent entity. A CMO is considered an extension of the individual offices of participating Members.
Members may, for example, have personal office staff perform CMO-related work and utilize internal
communications or a section of a Member’s website for CMO issues. A CMO, however, has no separate
corporate or legal identity; is not an employing authority; and cannot be assigned separate office space,
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send franked mail, or use official funds to print or pay for stationery. Although Members may use
personal funds to support a CMO, a CMO cannot receive funding from outside groups or individuals.
Some CMOs may be designated as Eligible Congressional Member Organizations (ECMOs), enabling
Members to transfer personal office funds for salaries and expenses for employees working on behalf of
an ECMO to a dedicated House account administered by the ECMO. To seek status as an ECMO in the
118th Congress, a group must have been a registered CMO in the preceding Congress, with shared
employees from at least 30 House Member offices; register as a CMO in the 118th Congress; designate a
single House Member as administrator of the group; and have at least three House employees assigned to
perform some ECMO work.
Senate Informal Member Organizations
Informal groups of Senators are collectively subject to the same regulations applicable to Senators as
individuals, as indicated in the Senate Ethics Manual, Rules of the Senate, and the Senate Code of
Official Conduct. Further guidance may be available to Senators from the Senate Committee on Ethics
and Committee on Rules and Administration. Separate regulations expressly recognizing these groups and
prescribing their operations have never been implemented in the Senate.
Select Considerations for Starting a Member
Organization
This section provides some considerations that may be of interest to House Members or Senators who are
thinking about forming an informal Member organization. As discussed in the “House Informal Member
Organizations” section above, CHA provides additional guidelines for House groups identified as CMOs.
 How to define the group’s objective and its purpose. What issue(s) will it address?
Some groups focus on a specific policy topic; economic sector or industry; or an issue of
personal interest. Groups can also reflect district, state, or regional interests, or seek to
address the interests of a broad national constituency.
 Identifying “core” Members who could help lead and support the organization.
Preliminary discussions and informal meetings with these Members could be used to
determine the structure of a group, its objectives, and activities.
 How a group might relate to existing congressional institutions. This may include
party caucus or conference groups; committees or subcommittees; and existing informal
Member organizations. The Committee on House Administration lists registered CMOs,
and other groups may be identified through Member websites or “Dear Colleague”
letters. Group organizers may wish to consult with party, committee, or existing group
leaders to avoid the appearance of rivalry or duplication.
 Identifying likely group membership. Informal Member organizations can determine
their own eligibility criteria for membership. Membership may be open to all interested
Members, or it may be limited to invitees only. A group can decide, for example, whether
it will be open to one party only or both parties; whether its membership will be limited
to one chamber or be bicameral; if it should be exclusive to a particular region or states;
or if shared issue interests should be the basis for membership.
 Seek necessary guidance and information. House groups may consult with the
Committee on House Administration and Committee on Ethics about applicable

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 guidelines and regulations. Senate groups may consult with the Committee on Rules and
Administration and Select Committee on Ethics.
 When and how to announce the formation of a group. Members often circulate a
“Dear Colleague” letter to introduce and describe a new group, and these letters may also
be used to invite other interested Members to join. Press releases, statements on the floor
or in the Congressional Record, or other communications are also sometimes used to
publicize a new group and its activities.

Author Information

Sarah J. Eckman

Analyst in American National Government

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
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