{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-leading-surprise-bipartisan-congressional-delegation-spend-christmas-troops", "Cicilline Leading Surprise Bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Spend Christmas with The Troops", "2019-12-24", "2019", "2019-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "David Cicilline", "C001084", "cicilline.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Cicilline Leading Surprise Bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Spend Christmas with The Troops\nRhode Island Congressman also met with his office's Veterans Affairs Advocate, Max Silva, who is currently on active duty\n\nKUWAIT CITY  U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, left Camp Arifjan, a key military base that supports operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, moments ago after spending the day with American servicemembers who are serving in Kuwait. Cicilline is leading a bipartisan delegation of eight Members of Congress who are visiting troops in the Middle East to thank them for their service, receive classified briefing from military leaders, and meeting with diplomatic and economic personnel in the region.\n\nThe men and women of the United States Armed Forces are heroes. I'm honored to lead this bipartisan delegation to the Middle East to thank them for their service, said Cicilline. We owe our servicemembers and veterans an enormous debt of gratitude. It's on all of us who serve in public office to honor their service with the resources and benefits they have earned.\n\nThe visit held special importance for Cicilline, who also met with Rhode Island Air National Guard Staff Sergeant Max Silva, a Pawtucket resident who has been deployed overseas since July. Silva works as Cicilline's Veterans Affairs Advocate in his Pawtucket office. The Congressman brought gifts from Silva's family, including his young daughter, who are celebrating the holidays without him. Cicilline was also able to meet with and deliver care packages to other Rhode Islanders stationed in Kuwait, including:\n\n Steven Dearborn, Providence\nSamuel DeAlmeida, Pawtucket\nEdwin Gaviria-Mejia, Pawtucket\nLloyd Ashong, North Smithfield\nDavid Gallego, Burrillville\n \nAlso on the trip with Cicilline are:\n\n REP Lee Zeldin (R-NY-01), Foreign Affairs\nREP Max Rose (D-NY-11), Homeland Security\nREP Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Foreign Affairs\nREP Susan Wild (D-PA-07), Foreign Affairs\nREP Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), Foreign Affairs\nREP Gil Cisneros (D-CA-39), Armed Services\nREP Aumua Amata Radewagon (R-AS-AL), Veterans' Affairs\n \nThe delegation departed Andrews Air Force Base Sunday morning. While in Kuwait, they met with staff at the American embassy and received briefings on American foreign policy in the country. They will spend the next few days visiting additional countries in the region. The locations of those visits are being withheld for security purposes.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://cicilline.house.gov/press-release/cicilline-leading-surprise-bipartisan-congressional-delegation-spend-christmas-troops"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.7740539517253637, "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"}