🏛️ How to Track What Congress Actually Does
Simple tools for seeing votes, patterns, and progress — whether the government’s open or not.
Current context — October 2025
As of late October 2025, the federal government has been shut down for three weeks. The Senate has repeatedly been unable to agree on a funding measure, while agencies from the judiciary to Head Start programs are beginning to furlough staff. The stalemate is one of the longest in U.S. history.
(AP News | Reuters | The Guardian)
Whether it’s a government shutdown or typical partisan gridlock, it can look like nothing’s happening in Congress.
But as usual in most sessions, most of Congress’s machinery keeps turning: Staff draft legislation, committees prep hearings, leadership negotiates language, and procedural votes still occur.
Knowing how to track those moves matters precisely because the process is always slow, messy, and easy to ignore. It helps you see who’s doing their job, who’s leading, who’s playing politics, and where compromise and solutions might eventually come from.
It’s one of the simplest ways to cut through the fog.
The tools below show how to follow the work — not just the talk — of your elected officials.
Why it matters
Silence hides activity. Committee votes, nominations, and procedural motions continue even when funding stalls.
Budgets return. Every shutdown ends with a deal; tracking past votes shows who blocked what and who brokered it.
Records speak. Members’ voting histories reveal patterns that campaign speeches can’t erase.
Two clear, reliable tools
Congress.gov — the official Library of Congress site.
Use the search box to find a bill or topic.
Click “Actions” to see every step: introduction, hearings, floor votes.
Select “All Actions” for a complete timeline, or “Roll Call Votes” for names and numbers.
Results link directly to the House Clerk and Senate records.
GovTrack.us — an independent tracker that turns raw data into plain language.
Create a free account to follow your representatives or specific issues.
Set up alerts to see when new bills are filed or when a vote is scheduled.
Each lawmaker’s page shows how often they vote with their party and which bills they’ve sponsored.
Both draw from the same public data; GovTrack just adds visuals and explanations.
How to start
Look up your two senators and your representative.
Click “Votes” on each profile.
Skim recent votes on spending or procedural motions.
Note whether they were present, absent, or abstained.
Save or share any vote you want to question — or thank — them for.
Tips for staying informed
Sign up for weekly vote summaries from either site.
Follow committee schedules on Congress.gov — most hearings are streamed live.
Cross-check media headlines with official vote tallies before reacting or sharing.
The bigger picture
Tracking votes isn’t glamorous, but it’s steady work — exactly what democracy needs when government grinds to a halt. Every roll call, even on a “procedural” motion, shows where your representatives stand.
Knowing that gives you power when they claim otherwise.
Stay engaged
To contact your members of Congress directly, visit U.S. Senators & Representatives Contact Info.
If you want to go further, a few groups promote transparency and civic accountability:
Project On Government Oversight (POGO). An independent watchdog that investigates waste, corruption, and abuse of power in federal agencies and defense spending. It pushes for transparency and stronger oversight laws.
OpenSecrets.org. A nonpartisan research group that tracks money in politics — campaign contributions, lobbying, and personal finances of lawmakers — to show how money influences policy decisions.
League of Women Voters. A grassroots civic organization that encourages informed participation in government, advocates for fair elections and voting rights, and provides nonpartisan voter education.
These organizations track spending, lobbying, and election reform — so you can keep the light on the process long after the cameras move on.
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