{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carson-leads-demands-restore-kib-national-forest-service-funding", "Congressman Carson Leads Demands to Restore KIB, National Forest Service Funding", "2025-04-09", "2025", "2025-04", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", "carson", "https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07) is leading demands to restore funding to the US Forest Service. The Trump administration\u2019s cuts to this agency have impacted nonprofits across the country, including Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) in Indianapolis.\n\nIn a letter led by Congressman Carson and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) and signed by 11 Members of Congress, Congressman Carson demands the restoration of funding to agreements supported by the National Pass-through Partnership for Strategic Urban Forestry Investment in Disadvantaged Communities. Many nonprofits and local organizations \u2014 including KIB \u2014 have depended on these funds to restore tree coverage, promote environmental education, and support workforce development. Congressman Carson spoke on this issue on the House floor yesterday evening.\n\n\u201cIt appears that DOGE has flagged words like \u2018equity\u2019 and \u2018diversity\u2019 in grant applications \u2013 even when it\u2019s biodiversity, and tree equity,\u201d said Congressman Carson in yesterday\u2019s floor speech. \u201cThat\u2019s not just bureaucratic overreach\u2014it\u2019s absurd.\n\n\u201cTree equity is the idea that every neighborhood deserves trees. Without them, underserved areas become heat islands\u2014trapping heat, raising energy bills, and degrading quality of life. This isn\u2019t theory\u2014it\u2019s science.\n\n\u201cInvesting in greener, healthier neighborhoods benefits every American. These cuts undermine that goal.\n\n\u201cI urge the USDA to reverse course\u2014and I call on my colleagues to join me in demanding the restoration of these critical investments in our communities.\u201d\n\nVideo of Congressman\u2019s floor speech can be found on CSPAN here or here. The full letter sent to the US Department of Agriculture is attached.\n\n\u201cKeep Indianapolis Beautiful intended to use the funds that were awarded through a competitive grant process to transform vacant and abandoned lots into vibrant community greenspaces,\u201d said Jeremy Kranowitz, President and CEO of KIB. \u201cResearch has proven that pocket parks make neighborhoods healthier and safer places to live. At this point, we have not secured donations from other sources to replace the lost funds.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T00:33:40Z"]], "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://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carson-leads-demands-restore-kib-national-forest-service-funding"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0283461306244135, "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"}