{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/barbara-lees-statement-on-the-passing-of-augustus-hawkins", "Barbara Lees Statement on the Passing of Augustus Hawkins", "2007-11-12", "2007", "2007-11", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.12.07\n\t\t\t Barbara Lee's Statement on the Passing of Augustus Hawkins \n\t\t\t(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) issued the following statement on the passing of Augustus Freeman Gus Hawkins, the first African American elected to Congress from California and a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus:As a lawmaker, as a Civil Rights leader and as an advocate for children and underserved communities, Congressman Augustus Hawkins was a leader who has left behind a lasting legacy, both in terms of his legislative accomplishments and in the memories of those who follow in his footsteps and take up his work. I first met Congressman Hawkins in the early 1970's, when I was working for then-Congressman Ron Dellums.  He was totally committed to young people, and as the chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, he was a tireless advocate.  He had a certain quiet strength that conveyed his determination to get the job done. I ran into Congressman Hawkins in the halls of the Rayburn House office building a couple of years ago, and despite his advanced years he was still at it, lobbying for education and pushing us as lawmakers to do a better job for young people. His passing is a loss for our nation.  He will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family. ------  \n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 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://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/barbara-lees-statement-on-the-passing-of-augustus-hawkins"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8699996396899223, "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"}