{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-begich-elected-executive-vice-chair-congressional-western-caucus", "Congressman Begich Elected Executive Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus", "2026-01-26", "2026", "2026-01", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Nicholas J. Begich III", "B001323", "begich.house.gov", "begich", "https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Jan. 26, 2026 \u2013 Congressman Nick Begich was unanimously elected Executive Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus, one of the largest and most influential caucuses in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Begich was nominated Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) by and seconded by Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03).\n\n\u201cI am honored to be elected Executive Vice Chair of the Congressional Western Caucus and grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me,\u201d said Congressman Begich. \u201cI want to congratulate my colleague, Congresswoman Maloy from the great state of Utah who will serve as Chairwoman of the Caucus. The Western Caucus plays an important role in advancing policies that strengthen America\u2019s rural communities and promote responsible resource development. These issues are especially important to Alaska, and I look forward to working with Chairwoman Maloy and my colleagues in the Caucus to ensure rural America has a strong voice in Congress.\u201d\n\n\"I\u2019m excited to see my good friend, Rep. Nick Begich, elected unanimously to the role of Executive Vice Chair of the Western Caucus. The Western Caucus plays a vital role in advocating for policies that strengthen Western and rural America, such as promoting responsible resource development, energy production, and local land management. With Nick as Executive Vice Chair, the Western Caucus has another principled conservative leader who will fight passionately on behalf of Western states and rural communities, giving them a strong voice in Congress. I look forward to seeing all he will accomplish in this new role,\u201d said Majority Leader Steve Scalise.\n\nCongresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-02), the previous Executive Vice Chair of the Western Caucus, was elected to serve as Chair of the Caucus and highlighted the impact of carrying on the mission of the Western Caucus following the passing of the late Chairman Doug LaMalfa.\n\n\u201cI am deeply honored and humbled to have been elected Chair of the Western Caucus,\u201d said Congresswoman Maloy. \u201cThe trust my colleagues have placed in me especially as I step into the figuratively and literally large shoes of the late Chairman Doug LaMalfa is not lost on me. Doug was a relentless champion for rural America, and filling his shoes, along with those of the leaders who came before him, is a tall order but it\u2019s one I am ready to attack with everything I have. The Western Caucus name may suggest the West, but our mission is national. Rural America lives in every state, and I will lead this Caucus with urgency, strength, and grit to ensure those communities are heard, defended, and never ignored.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe Congressional Western Caucus is dedicated to promoting policies that support rural America, multiple-use land management, domestic energy production, agriculture, and natural resource stewardship. As Vice Chair, Congressman Begich will help guide the Caucus\u2019s policy agenda and advocacy efforts on behalf of western states and districts.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "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://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-begich-elected-executive-vice-chair-congressional-western-caucus"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8036158978939056, "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"}