The Legislative Reference Service was established by Congress in 1914, as a separate department within the Library of Congress, to serve the research needs of the Congress. In 1970, Congress changed the name to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), and broadened its obligations.
The mission of the CRS is to serve the Congress by providing comprehensive, authoritative, and nonpartisan research and analysis, in order to inform members of Congress as they prepare for debate.
Read more about the history and mission of the CRS at http://www.loc.gov/crsinfo/about/.
Earlier efforts to gain access to the CRS reports, prior to the public access release, are posted below.