Transcript Layout

Transcripts are shown as continuous paragraphs rather than caption rows, in two columns: a track on the left and the text on the right. Where a transcript has been curated — someone has checked who is speaking — that track carries speaker names alongside the timecodes, and a colour key appears above the transcript. Machine speaker detection on its own is not treated as enough to put a name against testimony, so an uncurated transcript shows timecodes only, and no names or key.

• On a curated transcript the track names the voice and gives the timecode only where the speaker changes. A run of paragraphs from the same speaker leaves the track blank rather than repeating the attribution
• On an uncurated transcript the track carries the timecode alone, on every paragraph
• Each voice has its own colour, carried by the name, the rule down the left edge, and the key at the top of the transcript
• Turning the track off gives the whole width to the text, in a slightly larger size for easier reading
• Click any timecode in the track to seek the video to that point
• Every word carries its own start and end time, so the highlight can follow the audio word by word
• Words falling inside a region flagged as dropout, inaudible or garbled audio carry that detail in a tooltip — hover a word to see it. They are not visually marked, so nothing in the text reads as an error

Viewer Options

Three checkboxes at the top of the transcript control how it reads. Your choices are remembered in this browser and applied to every transcript from then on.

• Track paragraphs — shades the paragraph being spoken in blue
• Track words — shades the word being spoken in yellow
• Show attribution / Show times — shows or hides the left-hand track. The label follows the transcript: a curated one offers Show attribution, since the track carries speaker names; an uncurated one offers Show times, since it carries only timecodes

Until you set them yourself, the first two start switched on and the speaker track follows the screen: shown on a desktop, hidden on a narrow one where the width is better spent on the text. Your setting is kept even while viewing uncurated transcripts, and applies again as soon as a curated one is opened.

Transcript Search

When viewing a transcript, use the search box to find specific words or phrases:

• Type in the search box to highlight all matching text
• Phrases spanning several words are matched and highlighted as a single result
• Use the < and > buttons to navigate between matches
• The counter shows your current position (e.g., "3/15" means match 3 of 15)
• Search terms are included in shared links

Playhead Tracking

With either tracking option switched on, the transcript follows the video:

• The transcript scrolls only once the highlight has gone off screen entirely, so a passage stays still while you read it
• With Track words on, the line the current word sits on is centred
• With only Track paragraphs on, the paragraph's first line is moved to the top
• With both on, the scrolling follows the word — but each highlight appears or disappears with its own checkbox
• Click any word to seek the video to that word, or a paragraph's timecode to seek to the start of that paragraph

Searching While Playing

Searching the transcript and following the playhead pull the page in opposite directions, so searching takes precedence:

• Clicking into the search box, or pressing < / >, pauses the video so a result cannot be scrolled away from you
• Starting playback again leaves the search highlights in place and resumes tracking normally
• Playback is only interrupted again if you return to the search box or the arrows

Downloading the Transcript

Click Download at the right of the transcript's option row to save what you are reading as a plain text (.txt) file. It opens in any text editor or word processor, and can be printed, emailed or searched like any other document.

• The file begins with the meeting's name, date and location, and a note of how much material it contains
• Each paragraph starts with the timecode at which it begins, followed by a >> delimiter and the text of the paragraph
• Paragraphs are separated by a blank line, so the structure survives in an editor that wraps long lines
• The file is named for the meeting, so downloads from several meetings stay distinguishable

The transcript is written from what is already loaded in the page, so the download begins immediately and matches the text on screen exactly. Note that these are machine-produced transcripts and are not a certified record of the proceedings.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Use these global shortcuts when focus is outside of form fields:

Trim: Audio Peak Graph

Click the Trim button to reveal an audio peak graph below the video. The peaks graph displays the audio energy across the full recording, giving you a visual reference for the content of the clip.

Any trim segments you have marked appear as colored overlays on the peak graph, making it easy to see where your segments fall relative to the audio and to navigate between them precisely. All trimming keyboard shortcuts work in both basic and trim mode — trim mode adds the visual representation.

The peak graph timeline supports direct interaction:

• Click anywhere on the timeline to seek to that position
• Click and drag to scrub through the video
• Scroll the mouse wheel for time ajustment at exact 1-second intervals (more accurate than dragging the time bar directly)
• Hold Ctrl while using the mouse wheel for finer adjustment
• Click a segment overlay to jump to the start of that segment (similar to using the [ key)

Video Trimming

Mark closed segments by setting a start and end time. Either endpoint can be marked first, and multiple closed segments can be marked on the same file. Each action below can be performed either from the keyboard or by clicking the equivalent button on the trim toolbar.

To mark a segment:

• Press i or click Mark In at the desired start position, and o or click Mark Out at the desired end position. Order does not matter
• The segment closes as soon as both endpoints have been placed

Once a closed segment exists, additional in/out marks either adjust that segment or start a new one depending on where they fall:

• A new in-point (i or ) anywhere to the left of an existing segment's end adjusts that segment's start
• A new out-point (o or ) anywhere to the right of an existing segment's start adjusts that segment's end
• A new in-point placed after all existing segments begins a new segment
• A new out-point placed before all existing segments begins a new segment
• Marking the opposite endpoint of an open segment closes it

This is easier to use than to describe: the design keeps controls simple by letting you either create new segments or adjust existing ones with the same two controls. The one limitation is that creating a segment between two existing segments requires re-marking one of them, so it's easiest to mark segments in chronological order.

Other segment controls:

• Press [ / ] or click Previous / Next to jump the current time backward or forward between segment boundaries. These sit with the marking controls on the toolbar's first row, since they move between the marks you place there
• Press Space or click Play / Pause at the centre of the toolbar's transport row to start or stop playback without leaving the trim controls. The button shows the action it will perform, so it becomes while the video is playing
• Press Delete or click Delete to remove the segment at the current time position
• Double-click any segment overlay on the peaks graph to enter a custom name in the text box that appears
• Press Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y or click Undo / Redo to reverse or re-apply segment changes (up to 100 levels)
• Keyboard shortcuts will manage segments and event markers even with the trim panel closed, but there is limited visual feedback to see what you are doing. Enable Trim mode to see a visual peaks graph with segment overlays for easier navigation...
• Segments are preserved in the URL and included when using the Share button

Downloading Segments

Once you have marked one or more closed segments, click Download Segments on the trim toolbar to save each one as its own video clip. The button stays disabled until at least one closed segment (both a start and an end marked) exists.

• Each closed segment downloads as a separate MP4 file, trimmed to exactly its marked start and end
• Open segments (only a start or only an end marked) are skipped — close them first to include them
• Clips are cut on the video server on demand, so a download may take a moment to begin, especially for a long segment

Event Markers

In addition to in/out segments, you can place single-point event markers at moments of interest:

• Press e or click Event Marker to place a marker at the current position
• Markers appear as thin vertical lines on the peaks graph in Trim mode
• Press [ / ] or click Previous / Next to navigate between both segment boundaries and markers
• Press Delete or click Delete when the current position is on a marker to remove it
• Double-click any marker line on the peaks graph to enter a custom name in the text box that appears
• Markers are included in undo/redo history alongside segments
• Markers are preserved in the URL and included when using the Share button

Share Button

Click the Share button to copy a link that captures the current viewer state as a snapshot. Share the link via email, social media, or any other channel. Opening it restores the same view for the recipient.

The link includes:

• The current playhead position
• All segments and event markers you have placed
• Any custom names you have applied to segments or markers
• Search terms and other view parameters

Clip Segment Memory

When you mark segments on a clip, those segments are memorized for the duration of your browsing session. If you switch to a different part or meeting and then return, your previously marked segments will be restored automatically. This memory is cleared when the page is closed or refreshed. To preserve segments permanently, use the Share button to copy a link that includes your current segments.

RSS & Podcast Feeds

The Quick Links panel lists Senate and House feeds for the video () and audio () archives, published as podcast-compatible RSS. Left-click an icon to view the feed in your browser; to subscribe in a podcast app or RSS reader, right-click the icon and choose Copy link address, then paste the URL into your reader.