{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/taking-oath-office", "Taking the Oath of Office", "2025-01-03", "2025", "2025-01", "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. 3, 2025 \u2013 On the very day he took his oath of office, Congressman Nick Begich demonstrated his commitment to go to work immediately for the people of Alaska by introducing three crucial Alaska-focused bills in the U.S. House of Representatives. These legislative proposals aim to strengthen Alaska\u2019s Native communities, enhance local self-determination, and create brighter economic opportunities across the state.\n\n\u201cAlaska deserves quick, decisive action,\u201d said Congressman Begich. \u201cBy introducing these bills on my first day, I want Alaskans to know that my team and I are hitting the ground running to advocate for our state\u2019s future\u2014starting right now.\u201d\n\nBelow is a brief overview of the legislation introduced today:\n\nAlaska Native Settlement Trust Eligibility Act (H.R. 2687 in the 118th)\n\nPurpose: Excludes settlement trust benefits for certain Alaska Natives\u2014those who are blind, disabled, or age 65 and older\u2014from being considered income when determining eligibility for means-tested federal benefits such as SSI, SNAP, and housing assistance.\n\nKey Point: Closes a longstanding gap in Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) provisions, ensuring that elders and individuals with disabilities are not forced to choose between much-needed settlement trust income and critical federal assistance.\n\nUnrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act (H.R. 4748 in the 118th)\n\nAlso Known As: The \u201cLandless Bill\u201d\n\nPurpose: Amends ANCSA to allow Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell\u2014historically excluded Native communities\u2014to form urban corporations and select 23,040 acres each from the Tongass National Forest.\n\nKey Point: Restores land entitlements for these unrecognized communities while preserving existing rights-of-way, ensuring meaningful economic and cultural opportunities for Alaskans.\n\nAlaska Native Village Municipal Lands Restoration Act (H.R. 6489 in the 118th)\n\nPurpose: Eliminates the requirement under ANCSA Section 14(c)(3) that Alaska Native Village Corporations convey land to the State to be held in trust for future municipalities. Instead, it returns undeveloped land to the original village corporations.\n\nKey Point: Empowers Alaska Native communities to develop and use their lands for housing, community expansion, and other economic ventures, alleviating decades of land-title uncertainties and unlocking long-term development potential.\n\nThese bills underscore Congressman Begich\u2019s dedication to advocating for Alaska from day one. By introducing legislation that strengthens Alaska Native communities, clarifies land ownership, and supports seniors and individuals with disabilities, Congressman Begich is making good on his promise to \u201chit the ground running\u201d for the state.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T17:10:36Z"]], "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/taking-oath-office"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5392729546874762, "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"}