How to add CongressMCP to Windsurf
91+ congressional data tools — bills, votes, members, committees, hearings — via the Congress.gov API. Paste the config into ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json and restart Windsurf.
Last updated June 14, 2026 · 32★ · stdio · apikey
Windsurf config for CongressMCP
uvx congressmcp{
"mcpServers": {
"congressmcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"congressmcp"
],
"env": {
"CONGRESS_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.
Setup steps
- 1Open Windsurf → Cascade → the hammer/MCP icon → Configure (or edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json).
- 2Paste the CongressMCP config below.
- 3Fill in placeholder secrets, then save.
- 4Click Refresh in the MCP panel.
- 5CongressMCP's tools become available to Cascade.
Before you start
- A free Congress.gov API key (sign up at api.congress.gov/sign-up)
- uv / uvx (or pip) to install and run the congressmcp package
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or VS Code
What CongressMCP can do in Windsurf
Bills (16 operations)Search bills, fetch details, text, actions, amendments, cosponsors, and subjects.
Amendments (7 operations)Search amendments and retrieve details, actions, sponsors, and text.
Treaties & Summaries (5 operations)Treaty search, actions, committees, and text; plus bill summaries.
Members & Committees (13 operations)Search members by name, state, or district; sponsored legislation; committee bills and reports.
Voting & Nominations (13 operations)House and Senate votes, nominations, and roll calls.
Records & Hearings (10+ operations)Access the Congressional Record, hearings, CRS reports, and committee prints.
Security
Requires a free Congress.gov API key (CONGRESS_API_KEY), set via the env block in your MCP client config. Sign up at api.congress.gov/sign-up.
CongressMCP + Windsurf FAQ
Where is the Windsurf config file?
Windsurf reads MCP servers from ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json. Paste the CongressMCP config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.
Is CongressMCP safe to use with Windsurf?
Requires a free Congress.gov API key (CONGRESS_API_KEY), set via the env block in your MCP client config. Sign up at api.congress.gov/sign-up.
Is the Congress.gov API key free?
Yes. Sign up at api.congress.gov/sign-up — it takes about 30 seconds and is completely free.
Which MCP clients are supported?
Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, and any other MCP client. The README provides config for Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json), VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json), and Cursor (~/.cursor/mcp.json).
Can I self-host it over HTTP?
Yes. Run from source with `congressmcp --transport streamable-http --port 8000`, or set MCP_TRANSPORT=streamable-http. The default transport is stdio for local MCP clients.