Top of page

The Mooring of the Shenandoah to the U.S.S. Patoka. United States, 1924. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/89708467/
The Mooring of the Shenandoah to the U.S.S. Patoka. United States, 1924. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/89708467/

Congressional Reactions to the Crash of the U.S.S. Macon in the Bound Congressional Record

Share this post:

Last month, Andrew brought us news that you can sign up to receive an email alert when a member of Congress provides remarks that are recorded in the Congressional Record. This month’s release concerns a lot of work that occurs behind the scenes, including updates and enhancements to the Congress.gov API and adding a feature so that Senate amendments are displayed on text tabs and are searchable starting with the 117th Congress.

So, with that in mind, today’s Congress.gov post is a tip on how to search the Bound Congressional Record for Congressional reactions to historic events. The Bound Congressional Record on Congress.gov now provides coverage dating back to 1891.

I searched for Congressional reactions to the loss of the U.S.S. Macon. The Macon was a rigid Naval airship that served as an aircraft carrier. The Macon could launch Sparrowhawk planes that attached to it via a hook. On February 12, 1935, the Macon crashed and sank in the Pacific after suffering a structural failure. Senator Wagner reacted to the crash on February 15, 1935, by entering newspaper articles into the Congressional Record that questioned the future of dirigibles, particularly since other airships, including the Shenandoah and the Akron, had also crashed.

To search the Bound Congressional Record, select the “Congressional Record” in the dropdown menu, enter your search terms, and on the results screen, click “show keywords in context.” Show keywords in context displays a snippet of the text where your result appears so you can quickly decide whether or not it is relevant to you. You could also browse the Congressional Record by date.

Most-viewed bills

These are the most-viewed bills for the week ending on March 5, 2023.

1. H.Con.Res.9 [118th] Denouncing the horrors of socialism.
2. H.R.2617 [117th] Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
3. H.R.5376 [117th] Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
4. H.R.185 [118th] To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.
5. H.R.25 [118th] FairTax Act of 2023
6. S.623 [117th] Sunshine Protection Act of 2021
7. S.596 [117th] Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021
8. H.R.1280 [117th] George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021
9. H.R.82 [118th] Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
10. H.R.3684 [117th] Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act


Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

Comments (2)

  1. I enjoy these. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Thanks for opening public records for interested citizens. Librarians’ (law and others) commitment to truth and learning are some of the truly unsung heroes in all levels of the government and the private and nonprofit sectors. You help to satisfy our curiosities and offer hope for the future.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *