CongressMCP-full

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Get Members by State - Current or historical representatives from a specific state

get_members_by_state

Retrieve congressional members by two-letter state code, with options to show current members only and limit returned results.

Instructions

Get members of Congress from a specific state.

Args:
    ctx: Context for API requests
    state_code: Two-letter state code (e.g., 'CA', 'TX', 'NY')
    current_member: Whether to only show current members (defaults to True)
    limit: Maximum number of members to return

Returns:
    List of members from the specified state

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No
`state_code`	Yes
`current_member`	No

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when success is false: the section-9 error envelope
`items`	No	Results of other kinds (bills, reports, communications, nominations), as returned by Congress.gov
`context`	Yes	Context about the search or operation performed
`members`	No	Member results
`success`	Yes	Whether the operation was successful
`summary`	Yes	Human-readable summary of the results
`item_kind`	No	What `items` contains (bill, committee_report, communication, nomination, ...)
`operation`	Yes	The operation that was performed
`committees`	No	Committee results
`results_count`	Yes	Number of items returned (equals the populated list's length)

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed34 schema fields changedv2.2.0Aug 26, 2026

addedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / chamber / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / chamber / default
```
Added value: +null
```
removedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / chamber / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / committee_code / description

Previous value: -"Official committee code"New value: +"Official committee system code (e.g. hsju00)"

addedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / committee_type / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / committee_type / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / committee_type / description

Previous value: -"Type of committee (Standing, Select, etc.)"New value: +"Type of committee (Standing, Select, ...)"

removedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / committee_type / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```
addedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / url / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / properties / url / description

Previous value: -"Congress.gov URL for committee details"New value: +"Congress.gov API URL for committee details"

changedOutput schema / $defs / CommitteeSummary / required

Previous value: -[
-  "committee_code",
-  "name",
-  "chamber",
-  "committee_type",
-  "url"
-]New value: +[
+  "committee_code",
+  "name"
+]

addedOutput schema / $defs / ErrorInfo

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Section-9 error payload: stable code, human message, secret-safe\ndetail, actionable remediation. Mirrors the bill-text tools' envelope\n(documentation/fulltext/04-tools-responses.md section 9).",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "Stable machine-readable error code (lowercase)",
+      "title": "Code",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "detail": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "additionalProperties": true,
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "default": null,
+      "description": "Structured context; never carries secrets",
+      "title": "Detail"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "What went wrong",
+      "title": "Message",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "remediation": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ],
+      "default": null,
+      "description": "What the caller should do about it",
+      "title": "Remediation"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "title": "ErrorInfo",
+  "type": "object"
+}

changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / description

Previous value: -"Summary information about a member of Congress."New value: +"Summary information about a member of Congress (list-level fields)."

addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / chamber / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / chamber / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / chamber / description

Previous value: -"Chamber (House or Senate)"New value: +"Chamber of the member's most recent term"

removedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / chamber / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```

addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / current_member / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "type": "boolean"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / current_member / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / current_member / description

Previous value: -"Whether this person is currently serving"New value: +"Whether currently serving (None if unknown)"

removedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / current_member / type
```
Removed value: -"boolean"
```
addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / district / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / district / description

Previous value: -"District number (for House members)"New value: +"District number (House members)"

addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / party / default
```
Added value: +null
```
changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / party / description
```
Previous value: -"Political party (D, R, I)"New value: +"Political party"
```
addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / state / default
```
Added value: +null
```
addedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / url / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / properties / url / description

Previous value: -"Congress.gov URL for member details"New value: +"Congress.gov API URL for member details"

changedOutput schema / $defs / MemberSummary / required

Previous value: -[
-  "bioguide_id",
-  "name",
-  "party",
-  "state",
-  "district",
-  "chamber",
-  "current_member",
-  "url"
-]New value: +[
+  "bioguide_id",
+  "name"
+]

changedOutput schema / description

Previous value: -"Response from the members and committees tool."New value: +"Response from the members and committees tools.\n\nSome operations return items that are neither members nor committees\n(a member's sponsored bills, a committee's reports/communications/\nnominations); those arrive in `items` as the API's own dicts, labeled\nby `item_kind`."

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "$ref": "#/$defs/ErrorInfo"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "Present when success is false: the section-9 error envelope"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / item_kind

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "What `items` contains (bill, committee_report, communication, nomination, ...)",
+  "title": "Item Kind"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / items

Added value: +{
+  "default": [],
+  "description": "Results of other kinds (bills, reports, communications, nominations), as returned by Congress.gov",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": true,
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "title": "Items",
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / results_count / description

Previous value: -"Number of results returned"New value: +"Number of items returned (equals the populated list's length)"

First observedv2.0.0Apr 3, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

With no annotations, the description carries the behavioral burden. It explains the current_member flag's effect (only show current members, defaulting to true) and that the call returns a list, giving the agent a clear read-only mental model. It does not discuss ordering, pagination, or invalid-state handling, but for a simple list endpoint this is adequate.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

The description is tight: a one-sentence summary, a labeled Args block with one line per parameter, and a one-line Returns note. No filler or duplicated schema noise.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For a simple three-parameter tool with an output schema, all parameters and the current/historical toggle are documented. The only notable omission is guidance on when to pick this over get_members_by_district or get_members_by_congress, but the state_code resource and sibling names make the distinction mostly recoverable.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It does: state_code is documented as a two-letter code with examples, current_member is given meaning and its default, and limit is clarified as the maximum number of returned members. The nullable current_member behavior is not elaborated, but the core semantics are clear.

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: 'Get members of Congress from a specific state.' Title adds 'Current or historical representatives,' clarifying the main filtering dimension and distinguishing it from district- or congress-scoped siblings.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

The description implies it should be used when members need to be retrieved by state_code, and the current_member parameter indicates a current-vs-historical choice. However, it never names or contrasts the many sibling member-lookup tools (by district, by congress, by congress+district), leaving the agent to infer when this tool is preferred.

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