Brookings Institution Updates 'Vital Statistics on Congress' with New Data on Congressional Operations and Budget
The Brookings Institution has released an updated version of its 'Vital Statistics on Congress,' a comprehensive collection of data related to the U.S. Congress. This update, spearheaded by Brookings scholar Molly E. Reynolds, includes over 90 tables of data across eight chapters, covering various aspects such as the demographics of members, congressional elections, campaign finance, committee data, congressional staff and operating expenses, legislative productivity, federal budget actions, and political polarization. The project, which originated as a joint effort with the American Enterprise Institute, transitioned online in 2013 and received its most recent update in April 2026. The updated documents for chapter 1 were corrected and re-uploaded on September 2, 2026. All individual chapters and tables are available for free download in multiple formats, including .PDF, .XLSX, and .CSV. Users are encouraged to download at least two formats, as the .CSV files do not contain the same source and methodologi...