{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-joins-michigan-delegation-bipartisan-effort-bring-coast-guard-drone", "Barrett Joins Michigan Delegation in Bipartisan Effort to Bring Coast Guard Drone Testing to Michigan", "2026-07-31", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "MI", "Tom Barrett", "B001321", "barrett.house.gov", "barrett", "https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) joined colleagues from Michigan in the U.S. House and Senate in a bipartisan effort to bring Coast Guard drone testing to northern Michigan. Michigan\u2019s decades-long manufacturing legacy has made it a national leader in autonomous systems, with the expertise, strategic location, and partnerships to support Coast Guard testing missions.\n\nEstablishing Northern Michigan as a designated site for Coast Guard drone testing would:\n\nBuild on the region's growing leadership in autonomous technology.\n\nCreate new opportunities for research and workforce development.\n\nEnsure the Coast Guard can test next-generation technologies in real-world Great Lakes conditions.\n\nHelp the Coast Guard save lives, respond to disasters faster, improve maritime safety and security, inspect critical infrastructure, and monitor the environment.\n\nStrengthen search-and-rescue operations\u2014all while reducing costs and keeping people out of harm's way.\n\nThe letter was also signed by Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) along with Representatives Jack Bergman (MI-01), John Moolenar (MI-02), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), and Haley Stevens (MI-11).\n\n\u201cEarlier this year, the Administration released its Maritime Action Plan: Restoring America's Maritime Dominance, directing the Coast Guard to make one or more such designations, including in the Great Lakes,\u201d said the lawmakers. \u201cNorthern Michigan is an ideal location for this designation given that Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City already possesses the operational expertise, strategic location, and public-private partnerships needed to become the Coast Guard\u2019s premier site for testing autonomous maritime technologies.\u201d\n\n\u201cServing all five Great Lakes, Air Station Traverse City is uniquely positioned to support Coast Guard missions ranging from search and rescue to homeland security and disaster response,\u201d continued the lawmakers. \u201cCombined with uncongested airspace, significant capacity for expansion, and a community that embraces Coast Guard families and operations, it provides an exceptional platform for continued investment and innovation.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-joins-michigan-delegation-bipartisan-effort-bring-coast-guard-drone"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.576604088768363, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}