For any interested in initiatives to make government data more accessible, I ran across an interesting API put out by Civic Impulse – the GovTrack API (http://www.govtrack.us/developers/api). The API allows queries to be made regarding many of the bills being debated about in the US congress as well as the ability to programmatically look up information pertaining to members of Congress. The available documentation for the API is located at the link already provided, but a small Perl script below will demonstrate the basics of accessing the API in Perl.
This script will query the API for bills regarding “fracking” in the “112” session of congress and will simply print out the retrieved results.
#!usr/bin/perl
use LWP;
use strict;
use warnings;
#sets query and congress session
my $query='fracking';
my $congress=112;
my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new;
my $url="http://www.govtrack.us/api/v2/bill?q=$query&congress=$congress";
my $response=$ua->get($url);
my $result=$response->content;
print $result;
use LWP;
use strict;
use warnings;
#sets query and congress session
my $query='fracking';
my $congress=112;
my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new;
my $url="http://www.govtrack.us/api/v2/bill?q=$query&congress=$congress";
my $response=$ua->get($url);
my $result=$response->content;
print $result;
The results are returned in the JSON format be default, but the API does allow for parameters to be specified for XML or CSV based results as alternatives. For the code above the returned JSON would look as follows:
{
"meta": {
"limit": 100,
"offset": 0,
"total_count": 2
},
"objects": [
{
"bill_resolution_type": "bill",
"bill_type": "senate_bill",
"bill_type_label": "S.",
"congress": 112,
"current_status": "referred",
"current_status_date": "2012-03-28",
"current_status_description": "This bill was introduced on March 28, 2012, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.",
"current_status_label": "Referred to Committee",
"display_number": "S. 2248",
"docs_house_gov_postdate": null,
"id": 251518,
"introduced_date": "2012-03-28",
"is_alive": false,
"is_current": false,
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/s2248",
"major_actions": [
[
"datetime.datetime(2012, 3, 28, 0, 0)",
1,
"Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2166-2167)"
],
[
"datetime.datetime(2012, 3, 28, 0, 0)",
2,
"Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources."
]
],
"noun": "bill",
"number": 2248,
"senate_floor_schedule_postdate": null,
"sliplawnum": null,
"sliplawpubpriv": null,
"sponsor": {
"bioguideid": "I000024",
"birthday": "1934-11-17",
"cspanid": 5619,
"firstname": "James",
"gender": "male",
"gender_label": "Male",
"id": 300055,
"lastname": "Inhofe",
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/james_inhofe/300055",
"middlename": "M.",
"name": "Sen. James “Jim†Inhofe [R-OK]",
"namemod": "",
"nickname": "Jim",
"osid": "N00005582",
"pvsid": "27027",
"sortname": "Inhofe, James “Jim†(Sen.) [R-OK]",
"twitterid": "InhofePress",
"youtubeid": "jiminhofepressoffice"
},
"sponsor_role": {
"congress_numbers": [
111,
112,
113
],
"current": true,
"description": "Senator from Oklahoma",
"district": null,
"enddate": "2015-01-03",
"id": 4082,
"party": "Republican",
"person": 300055,
"role_type": "senator",
"role_type_label": "Senator",
"senator_class": "class2",
"senator_class_label": "Class 2",
"startdate": "2009-01-06",
"state": "OK",
"title": "Sen.",
"title_long": "Senator",
"website": "http://www.inhofe.senate.gov"
},
"thomas_link": "http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:s2248:",
"title": "S. 2248 (112th): Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"title_without_number": "Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"titles": [
[
"short",
"introduced",
"Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act"
],
[
"official",
"introduced",
"A bill to clarify that a State has the sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal land within the boundaries of the State."
]
]
},
{
"bill_resolution_type": "bill",
"bill_type": "house_bill",
"bill_type_label": "H.R.",
"congress": 112,
"current_status": "referred",
"current_status_date": "2012-03-29",
"current_status_description": "This bill was introduced on March 29, 2012, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.",
"current_status_label": "Referred to Committee",
"display_number": "H.R. 4322",
"docs_house_gov_postdate": null,
"id": 251585,
"introduced_date": "2012-03-29",
"is_alive": false,
"is_current": false,
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4322",
"major_actions": [
[
"datetime.datetime(2012, 3, 29, 0, 0)",
2,
"Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned."
]
],
"noun": "bill",
"number": 4322,
"senate_floor_schedule_postdate": null,
"sliplawnum": null,
"sliplawpubpriv": null,
"sponsor": {
"bioguideid": "G000552",
"birthday": "1953-08-18",
"cspanid": 1011394,
"firstname": "Louie",
"gender": "male",
"gender_label": "Male",
"id": 400651,
"lastname": "Gohmert",
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/louie_gohmert/400651",
"middlename": "B.",
"name": "Rep. Louie Gohmert [R-TX1]",
"namemod": "Jr.",
"nickname": "",
"osid": "N00026148",
"pvsid": "50029",
"sortname": "Gohmert, Louie (Rep.) [R-TX1]",
"twitterid": "replouiegohmert",
"youtubeid": "GohmertTX01"
},
"sponsor_role": {
"congress_numbers": [
112
],
"current": false,
"description": "Representative for Texas's 1st congressional district",
"district": 1,
"enddate": "2013-01-03",
"id": 5197,
"party": "Republican",
"person": 400651,
"role_type": "representative",
"role_type_label": "Representative",
"senator_class": null,
"startdate": "2011-01-05",
"state": "TX",
"title": "Rep.",
"title_long": "Representative",
"website": "http://gohmert.house.gov"
},
"thomas_link": "http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:hr4322:",
"title": "H.R. 4322 (112th): Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"title_without_number": "Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"titles": [
[
"short",
"introduced",
"Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act"
],
[
"official",
"introduced",
"To clarify that a State has the sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal land within the boundaries of the State."
]
]
}
]
}
"meta": {
"limit": 100,
"offset": 0,
"total_count": 2
},
"objects": [
{
"bill_resolution_type": "bill",
"bill_type": "senate_bill",
"bill_type_label": "S.",
"congress": 112,
"current_status": "referred",
"current_status_date": "2012-03-28",
"current_status_description": "This bill was introduced on March 28, 2012, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.",
"current_status_label": "Referred to Committee",
"display_number": "S. 2248",
"docs_house_gov_postdate": null,
"id": 251518,
"introduced_date": "2012-03-28",
"is_alive": false,
"is_current": false,
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/s2248",
"major_actions": [
[
"datetime.datetime(2012, 3, 28, 0, 0)",
1,
"Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2166-2167)"
],
[
"datetime.datetime(2012, 3, 28, 0, 0)",
2,
"Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources."
]
],
"noun": "bill",
"number": 2248,
"senate_floor_schedule_postdate": null,
"sliplawnum": null,
"sliplawpubpriv": null,
"sponsor": {
"bioguideid": "I000024",
"birthday": "1934-11-17",
"cspanid": 5619,
"firstname": "James",
"gender": "male",
"gender_label": "Male",
"id": 300055,
"lastname": "Inhofe",
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/james_inhofe/300055",
"middlename": "M.",
"name": "Sen. James “Jim†Inhofe [R-OK]",
"namemod": "",
"nickname": "Jim",
"osid": "N00005582",
"pvsid": "27027",
"sortname": "Inhofe, James “Jim†(Sen.) [R-OK]",
"twitterid": "InhofePress",
"youtubeid": "jiminhofepressoffice"
},
"sponsor_role": {
"congress_numbers": [
111,
112,
113
],
"current": true,
"description": "Senator from Oklahoma",
"district": null,
"enddate": "2015-01-03",
"id": 4082,
"party": "Republican",
"person": 300055,
"role_type": "senator",
"role_type_label": "Senator",
"senator_class": "class2",
"senator_class_label": "Class 2",
"startdate": "2009-01-06",
"state": "OK",
"title": "Sen.",
"title_long": "Senator",
"website": "http://www.inhofe.senate.gov"
},
"thomas_link": "http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:s2248:",
"title": "S. 2248 (112th): Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"title_without_number": "Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"titles": [
[
"short",
"introduced",
"Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act"
],
[
"official",
"introduced",
"A bill to clarify that a State has the sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal land within the boundaries of the State."
]
]
},
{
"bill_resolution_type": "bill",
"bill_type": "house_bill",
"bill_type_label": "H.R.",
"congress": 112,
"current_status": "referred",
"current_status_date": "2012-03-29",
"current_status_description": "This bill was introduced on March 29, 2012, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted.",
"current_status_label": "Referred to Committee",
"display_number": "H.R. 4322",
"docs_house_gov_postdate": null,
"id": 251585,
"introduced_date": "2012-03-29",
"is_alive": false,
"is_current": false,
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4322",
"major_actions": [
[
"datetime.datetime(2012, 3, 29, 0, 0)",
2,
"Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned."
]
],
"noun": "bill",
"number": 4322,
"senate_floor_schedule_postdate": null,
"sliplawnum": null,
"sliplawpubpriv": null,
"sponsor": {
"bioguideid": "G000552",
"birthday": "1953-08-18",
"cspanid": 1011394,
"firstname": "Louie",
"gender": "male",
"gender_label": "Male",
"id": 400651,
"lastname": "Gohmert",
"link": "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/louie_gohmert/400651",
"middlename": "B.",
"name": "Rep. Louie Gohmert [R-TX1]",
"namemod": "Jr.",
"nickname": "",
"osid": "N00026148",
"pvsid": "50029",
"sortname": "Gohmert, Louie (Rep.) [R-TX1]",
"twitterid": "replouiegohmert",
"youtubeid": "GohmertTX01"
},
"sponsor_role": {
"congress_numbers": [
112
],
"current": false,
"description": "Representative for Texas's 1st congressional district",
"district": 1,
"enddate": "2013-01-03",
"id": 5197,
"party": "Republican",
"person": 400651,
"role_type": "representative",
"role_type_label": "Representative",
"senator_class": null,
"startdate": "2011-01-05",
"state": "TX",
"title": "Rep.",
"title_long": "Representative",
"website": "http://gohmert.house.gov"
},
"thomas_link": "http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:hr4322:",
"title": "H.R. 4322 (112th): Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"title_without_number": "Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act",
"titles": [
[
"short",
"introduced",
"Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands Act"
],
[
"official",
"introduced",
"To clarify that a State has the sole authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing on Federal land within the boundaries of the State."
]
]
}
]
}