{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=420F95EC-FC1B-40F8-A27B-64491E61F884", "Congressman Rogers Touts Funding for Jobs & Economic Development in E.Ky.", "2019-12-17", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "House", "KY", "Harold Rogers", "R000395", "halrogers.house.gov", "halrogers", "https://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Federal Bills Protect Construction Funding for Letcher County Prison & Job Creation in the Coalfields\n\nWASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed two comprehensive federal funding packages on Thursday to finalize government funding bills for Fiscal Year 2020. Congressman Hal Rogers, who is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, secured millions in critical funding for economic development in Kentucky's Appalachian region, where coal-producing counties continue to rebuild after suffering the loss of more than 12,000 coal mining jobs during the Obama Administration's War on Coal.\n\nCongressman Rogers championed a new Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Pilot Grant Program in 2016 to fast-track competitive funding opportunities for economic development in coal-producing counties. This legislation continues the grant program, investing another $25 million in Kentucky alone.\n\n\"This bill provides $115 million for the AML Pilot Program, which has been monumentally successful in creating new economic development opportunities in Appalachia. This funding is a strong compliment to the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is robustly funded at $175 million in this package. Within the Department of Agriculture, there is strong emphasis on rural infrastructure, including broadband deployment,\" said Congressman Rogers. \"The bill also allocates $30 million within the Economic Development Administration for assistance to coal mining communities that continue to struggle with the downturn in that industry.\"\n\nThe Appalachian Development Highway System will also receive $100 million for transportation improvements in the nation's Appalachian mountain region.\n\nAdditionally, the legislation protects construction funding for a new prison in Letcher County, rejecting a proposed rescission for the project. The prison is expected to create more than 300 new full-time jobs.\n\nThe bills passed the House on Tuesday afternoon and now head to the U.S. Senate for consideration.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:45:33Z"]], "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://halrogers.house.gov/press-releases?ID=420F95EC-FC1B-40F8-A27B-64491E61F884"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 14.067005831748247, "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"}