MCP Usage
With the MCP server running, you can ask AI assistants natural language questions. Here are example prompts and the tools they trigger.
Economic
"What's the current state of the U.S. economy? Show me GDP, unemployment, inflation, and interest rates."
Tools: fred_series_data (GDP, UNRATE, CPIAUCSL, FEDFUNDS)
"Compare Biden and Trump's economic performance using the same metrics."
Tools: fred_series_data, treasury_query (debt), fr_executive_orders
"Give me a complete economic and health profile for Texas."
Tools: bea_gdp_by_state, census_query, cdc_places_health, usaspending_by_state, hud_fair_market_rents
Legislative
"What happened with the Inflation Reduction Act? Who sponsored it, how did the vote break down by party?"
Tools: congress_bill_details, congress_senate_votes, congress_bill_actions, fred_series_data (before/after), lobbying_search
"Who's lobbying on AI regulation and how much are they spending?"
Tools: lobbying_search, lobbying_detail, congress_search_bills
Health
"Show me the adverse event profile for Ozempic including clinical trials, FDA reports, and pharma payments to doctors."
Tools: fda_drug_events, fda_drug_counts, fda_drug_labels, fda_approved_drugs, fda_drug_shortages, clinical_trials_search, open_payments_search, nih_search_projects
Financial
"Show me which banking PACs gave money to members of the Senate Banking Committee, and how those members voted on banking deregulation."
Tools: congress_search_members, fec_search_committees, fec_committee_disbursements, congress_senate_votes, lobbying_search
"Which banks have the most consumer complaints?"
Tools: cfpb_search_complaints, cfpb_complaint_aggregations, cfpb_complaint_trends
Tips for Better Prompts
- Be specific about time ranges — "GDP since 2020" beats "GDP trends"
- Ask for cross-references — "...and compare internationally" triggers World Bank data
- Name the data source — "Using FRED data, show me..." helps pick the right tool
- Ask for context — "What was the debt-to-GDP ratio?" pulls GDP alongside debt