CongressMCP-full

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Congressional Research and Professional - CRS reports and Congress analytics

research_and_professional

Access Congressional Research Service reports and enhanced Congress analytics. Search CRS reports by number or title, explore historical Congress trends, and retrieve in-depth legislative insights.

Instructions

Congressional Research and Professional - Access CRS reports and enhanced Congress analytics.

CONGRESS INFORMATION (3 operations):
• get_congress_info - Basic Congress information and metadata
• get_congress_info_enhanced - Advanced analytics with detailed insights
• search_congresses - Historical Congress search with trend analysis

PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH (1 operation):
• search_crs_reports - CRS reports: exact report_number lookup, or a
  title filter over the 250 most recently updated reports (not full-text)

REQUIRED PARAMETERS (the schema marks every parameter optional because
one shared schema covers every operation -- these operations fail
without the values below):
• keywords -- search_congresses
• keywords or report_number (at least one) -- search_crs_reports
(get_congress_info, get_congress_info_enhanced need none of the above)

Key params: operation, congress, keywords, report_number, start_year, end_year
Returns professional-grade research data with enhanced analytics and historical insights.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No
`current`	No
`congress`	No
`detailed`	No
`end_year`	No
`keywords`	No
`operation`	Yes
`start_year`	No
`format_type`	No
`report_number`	No

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when success is false: the section-9 error envelope
`success`	Yes	Whether the operation was successful
`summary`	Yes	Human-readable summary of research results
`operation`	Yes	The operation that was performed
`results_count`	Yes	Number of items returned (equals the populated list's length)
`research_materials`	No	Research materials found
`recommended_reading`	No	Recommended follow-up reading

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed11 schema fields changedv2.2.0Aug 26, 2026

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 / ResearchSummary / description

Previous value: -"Summary of research material."New value: +"Summary of research material (list-level fields)."

addedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / properties / date / default
```
Added value: +null
```

addedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / properties / status

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "default": null,
+  "description": "Status, where available",
+  "title": "Status"
+}

addedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / properties / summary / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / properties / title / description

Previous value: -"Research document title"New value: +"Document or congress title"

changedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / properties / type / description

Previous value: -"Type of document (CRS Report, Committee Report, etc.)"New value: +"Type of material (CRS Report, Congress, ...)"

addedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / properties / url / default
```
Added value: +null
```

changedOutput schema / $defs / ResearchSummary / required

Previous value: -[
-  "title",
-  "type",
-  "date",
-  "summary",
-  "url"
-]New value: +[
+  "title",
+  "type"
+]

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"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / results_count / description

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

Changed11 schema fields changedv2.1.0Aug 21, 2026

addedOutput schema / $defs

Added value: +{
+  "ResearchSummary": {
+    "description": "Summary of research material.",
+    "properties": {
+      "date": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ],
+        "description": "Publication or update date",
+        "title": "Date"
+      },
+      "summary": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ],
+        "description": "Brief summary of the document",
+        "title": "Summary"
+      },
+      "title": {
+        "description": "Research document title",
+        "title": "Title",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "topics": {
+        "default": [],
+        "description": "Key topics covered",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "title": "Topics",
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "type": {
+        "description": "Type of document (CRS Report, Committee Report, etc.)",
+        "title": "Type",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "url": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "null"
+          }
+        ],
+        "description": "URL to access the document",
+        "title": "Url"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "title",
+      "type",
+      "date",
+      "summary",
+      "url"
+    ],
+    "title": "ResearchSummary",
+    "type": "object"
+  }
+}

addedOutput schema / description

Added value: +"Response from the research and professional tool."

addedOutput schema / properties / operation

Added value: +{
+  "description": "The operation that was performed",
+  "title": "Operation",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / recommended_reading

Added value: +{
+  "default": [],
+  "description": "Recommended follow-up reading",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "title": "Recommended Reading",
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / research_materials

Added value: +{
+  "default": [],
+  "description": "Research materials found",
+  "items": {
+    "$ref": "#/$defs/ResearchSummary"
+  },
+  "title": "Research Materials",
+  "type": "array"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / result

Removed value: -{
-  "title": "Result",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / results_count

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Number of results returned",
+  "title": "Results Count",
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / success

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Whether the operation was successful",
+  "title": "Success",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / summary

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Human-readable summary of research results",
+  "title": "Summary",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "result"
-]New value: +[
+  "success",
+  "operation",
+  "results_count",
+  "summary"
+]

changedOutput schema / title

Previous value: -"research_and_professionalOutput"New value: +"ResearchProfessionalResponse"

First observedv2.0.0Apr 3, 2026

TDQS

B3.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full behavioral burden. It discloses two important non-obvious behaviors: the schema falsely marks everything optional but operations actually require specific values, and search_crs_reports only searches 'the 250 most recently updated reports (not full-text)' unless an exact report_number is provided. This is genuinely useful context beyond the schema, although it does not cover every behavioral detail.

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

Conciseness3/5

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

The description is well-organized with headers and bullet lists, but it contains redundant filler: the first line repeats the tool title, and 'Returns professional-grade research data with enhanced analytics and historical insights' adds no operational value. It is readable but not every sentence earns its place.

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

Completeness2/5

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

For a 10-parameter dispatcher tool with no parameter descriptions in the schema and no annotations, the description is incomplete. It gives strong operation-level routing and flags the required-parameter trap, but the semantics of most parameters remain unexplained, making correct invocation uncertain for an agent.

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

Parameters2/5

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

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description needed to compensate, but it only explains keywords and report_number for operation selection. The 'Key params' line names congress, start_year, and end_year without saying what they mean or how they affect results, and limit, current, detailed, and format_type are never explained at all.

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

Purpose4/5

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

The description clearly identifies the tool's domain: 'Access CRS reports and enhanced Congress analytics,' then enumerates the four supported operations with one-line behavioral summaries. It effectively distinguishes the sub-operations within the tool, though it does not explicitly contrast against the many sibling congressional tools.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

The REQUIRED PARAMETERS section gives concrete invocation guidance, mapping operations to the parameters they need and warning that operations 'fail without the values below.' It provides clear context for choosing between the four operations, but it never explicitly states when a sibling tool should be used instead, stopping short of a 5.

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