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Congress

by io.github.pipeworx-io
OverviewDiscussionsAdmin

Get Recent Bills

get_recent_bills
Read-onlyIdempotent

List the most recent congressional bills — newest first by introduction date or by latest update — from congress.gov. This tool takes NO subject or keyword: it returns whatever Congress touched most recently, so it can only answer OPEN-ENDED recency questions — "what bills were introduced this week", "latest bills in Congress", "what is Congress working on now", "recent activity on bills". PREFER OVER congress_search_bills for exactly those (it ranks by keyword relevance and surfaces older bills). If the question NAMES a bill, act, or subject — "status of the NDAA", "the defense authorization bill", "bills about crypto" — use congress_search_bills instead, even when it asks for the CURRENT status: a named subject cannot be found in an unfiltered recency list, which is mostly routine post-office namings. Returns bill type, number, title, status, sponsor, and dates. Requires an API key (see get_bill).

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
byNoRecency basis: "introduced" (default, newest introductions) or "activity" (most recent update / latest action).
limitNoNumber of bills to return (default: 20, max: 100)
congressNoCongress number to filter by (e.g., 119 for 2025–2026). Omit for all.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / by / description
      Previous value: -"Recency basis: \"introduced\" (default, newest introductions) or \"activity\" (most recent status change / latest action)."New value: +"Recency basis: \"introduced\" (default, newest introductions) or \"activity\" (most recent update / latest action)."
  2. Changed1 schema field changed
    • addedInput schema / examples
      Added value: +[
+  {
+    "by": "introduced"
+  },
+  {
+    "by": "activity",
+    "congress": 119,
+    "limit": 30
+  }
+]
  3. Added

TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint and openWorldHint, but the description adds real context beyond them: the tool accepts no subject filter, the unfiltered list is largely routine post-office namings, and an API key is required. It does not discuss pagination or rate limits, which keeps it just short of a 5.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The purpose and the positive selection criteria are front-loaded, followed by the exclusion, which is the right ordering for routing decisions. It is somewhat long with repeated quoted examples, but nearly every sentence carries routing value rather than filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

There is no output schema, and the description compensates by listing the returned fields (bill type, number, title, status, sponsor, dates). Combined with the prerequisite note and the recency-basis explanation, an agent has everything needed to call it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so all three parameters are already documented; the description's 'by introduction date or by latest update' merely restates the `by` enum-like choice. Neither `limit` nor `congress` receives any added meaning in the prose, so baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('List the most recent congressional bills'), plus sort semantics ('newest first by introduction date or by latest update') and source ('congress.gov'). It explicitly distinguishes itself from the keyword-ranking sibling congress_search_bills, so an agent can select it without opening either schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives explicit when-to-use triggers with quoted example queries ('what bills were introduced this week', 'latest bills in Congress') and explicit when-not conditions with counter-examples ('status of the NDAA', 'bills about crypto'). It names the alternative tool twice and even explains the edge case of a named subject asking for current status.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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