How to cite a legislative debate
Bluebook (22d ed.) citation format · B13 / R13.5 · Statutes & legislation
Example
123 Cong. Rec. 17147 (1977).
More examples
Each of these is checked against the rules on every change to the tool.
- 131 Cong. Rec. S11465–66 (daily ed. Sep. 13, 1985) (statement of Sen. Malcolm Wallop).
- Cong. Globe, 36th Cong., 1st Sess. 1672 (1860).
What the citation needs
Required
- Volume — The volume number, which comes before the reporter, code or periodical name.
- Page — The page the source begins on. The page you are citing goes in the pincite.
- Year — The year that goes in the date parenthetical at the end of the citation.
- Congress — The number of the Congress (“104th”).
- Session — The legislative session.
When they apply
- Source — Where the source is published: the reporter, gazette, series or collection, with its volume and page.
- Date (daily edition) — The date the rule for this source calls for, with the month abbreviated per T12 (“Nov. 24, 1978”).
- Editor (early debates) — The editor’s name, given in the parenthetical with the edition and year (R15.2).
- Statement parenthetical — Whose remarks you cite: “statement of Sen. Malcolm Wallop”.
- Database citation — A commercial-database citation, where the source is cited to one — “2010 WL 12345”.
In a brief and in a law review
The Bluebook sets citations two ways: the Bluepages for court documents and legal memoranda, the Whitepages for law review footnotes. Here is the first example above as each one prints it, in its typeface.
Court documents (Bluepages)
123 Cong. Rec. 17147 (1977).
Law review footnotes (Whitepages)
123 Cong. Rec. 17147 (1977).
The words are the same in both; only the typeface changes.
Common mistakes
Each of these is a citation the checker refuses, with what it says is wrong and the corrected form.
Wrong
123 Congressional Record 17147 (1977).
Why
Give the author, or the editor/translator, or the publisher (R15.1; R15.2(d)).
Give the author, or the editor/translator, or the publisher (R15.1; R15.2(d)).
Right
123 Cong. Rec. 17147 (1977).
Wrong
131 Cong. Rec. S11465–66 (Sep. 13, 1985) (statement of Sen. Malcolm Wallop).
Why
The permanent edition of the Congressional Record drops the “S” page prefix; keep it only in a “daily ed.” citation (R13.5).
Right
131 Cong. Rec. S11465–66 (daily ed. Sep. 13, 1985) (statement of Sen. Malcolm Wallop).
Wrong
Cong. Globe, 36th Cong., 1st Session 1672 (1860).
Why
Abbreviate “Session” to “Sess.” (T9).
Right
Cong. Globe, 36th Cong., 1st Sess. 1672 (1860).
Governing rules
B13 / R13.5
- 13 — legislative materials.
- 13.5 — congressional debates.
Build this citation with the generator, check one you have already written, or paste a whole list of footnotes to check them in order.
Related source types
Statutes & legislation: