Bring Public Records
to VS Code Copilot
Create your Vinkius account to connect GovInfo to VS Code Copilot and start using all 8 AI tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code. No hosting, no server setup — just connect and start using.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the GovInfo MCP Server?
Connect to the official GovInfo API and empower your AI agent with direct access to official publications from all three branches of the US Federal Government. Query congressional bills, federal regulations, court opinions, and presidential documents using natural language without navigating complex government databases.
What you can do
- Document Discovery — List available document collections and find specific packages based on date ranges or collection codes (e.g., BILLS, FR, CHRG)
- Deep Search — Perform complex searches across the entire GovInfo database to find relevant legislative or regulatory documents
- Daily Updates — Retrieve a list of all documents officially published on a specific date
- Metadata Extraction — Get detailed summary metadata for specific packages or their sub-documents (granules)
- Contextual Relationships — Discover related documents to understand the legislative or regulatory history of a specific bill or rule
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- Enter your free API key from api.data.gov
- Start querying government documents from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Your AI agent acts as a dedicated research assistant, capable of instantly locating the exact federal document you need for compliance, research, or legal analysis.
Who is this for?
- Legal & Compliance Teams — quickly locate specific Federal Register notices or track the progress of congressional bills
- Researchers & Journalists — retrieve official court opinions and presidential documents directly into your workspace
- Policy Analysts — monitor daily government publications and discover related documents for comprehensive policy tracking
Built-in capabilities (8)
Get packages within a collection by date range
Get summary metadata for a specific granule
Get summary metadata for a specific package
Get documents published on a specific date
Get documents related to a specific package
List available document collections
List granules (sub-documents) for a package
Search documents via the GovInfo Search API
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings GovInfo data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 8 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
- —
VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
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Project-scoped MCP configs (
.vscode/mcp.json) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access - —
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
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GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
GovInfo in VS Code Copilot
Why run GovInfo with Vinkius?
The GovInfo connection runs on our fully managed, secure cloud infrastructure. We handle the hosting, maintenance, and security so you don't have to deal with servers or code. All 8 tools are ready to work instantly without any complex setup.
You stay in complete control of your data. Your AI only accesses the information you approve, keeping your sensitive passwords and private details completely safe. Plus, with automatic optimizations, your AI works faster and more efficiently.
* Every connection is hosted and maintained by Vinkius. We handle the security, updates, and infrastructure so you don't have to write code or manage servers. See our infrastructure
Over 4,000 integrations ready for AI agents
Explore a vast library of pre-built integrations, optimized and ready to deploy.
Connect securely in under 30 seconds
Generate tokens to authenticate and link external services in a single step.
Complete visibility into every agent action
Audit live requests, latency, success rates, and active security compliance policies.
Optimize spending and track token ROI
Analyze real-time token consumption and cost metrics detailed by connection.
Explore our live AI Agents Analytics dashboard to see it all working
This dashboard is included when you connect GovInfo using Vinkius. You will never be left in the dark about what your AI agents are doing with your tools.
GovInfo and 4,000+ other AI tools. No hosting, no code, ready to use.
Professionals who connect GovInfo to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to write code, manage servers, or worry about security. Everything is pre-configured, secure, and runs automatically in the background.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-to-use MCPs | Find and configure each manually | 4,000+ MCPs ready to use |
| Connection Setup | Manual coding & server setup | 1-click instant connection |
| Server Hosting | You host it yourself (needs 24/7 uptime) | 100% hosted & managed by Vinkius |
| Security & Privacy | Stored in plaintext config files | Bank-grade encrypted vault |
| Activity Visibility | Blind execution (no logs or tracking) | Live dashboard with real-time logs |
| Cost Control | Runaway AI token spend risk | Automatic budget limits |
| Revoking Access | Must delete files or code to stop | 1-click disconnect button |
How Vinkius secures
GovInfo for VS Code Copilot
Every request between VS Code Copilot and GovInfo is protected by our secure gateway. We automatically keep your sensitive data private, prevent unauthorized access, and let you disconnect instantly at any time.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of documents can I find on GovInfo?
GovInfo provides access to a vast array of federal documents, including Congressional Bills (BILLS), the Federal Register (FR), Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), United States Courts Opinions (USCOURTS), and Presidential Documents (CPD). Use the list_collections tool to see all available categories.
How do I find the actual text or PDF of a document?
The get_package_summary tool returns metadata which includes download links (URLs) for various formats like PDF, XML, or Text. You can then use those links to access the full document.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.
MCP tools not available
Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.
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