{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2888", "House Republicans Stand Up for America\u2019s Veterans", "2026-05-21", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This week, House Republicans passed two pieces of legislation supporting America\u2019s veterans: the Veterans 2nd amendment Protection Act \u2013 authored by Chairman Mike Bost, and the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act \u2013 authored by Rep. Tom Barrett.\n\n\u201cEvery member of Congress is keenly aware that American strength and freedom are not free; they\u2019re paid for and secured by the selfless sacrifice of our military personnel and their families,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cAs Memorial Day approaches, this week, House Republicans advanced two pieces of legislation which will safeguard the constitutional rights of American veterans and deliver meaningful relief to Gold Star families. It\u2019s our duty to support the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom, and I commend Chairman Bost and Rep. Barrett for their leadership in support of America\u2019s veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs our nation observes Memorial Day next week, it was a privilege to pass two vitally important veterans\u2019 bills out of the House this week. Both the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, as well as the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, will make a real difference in veterans\u2019 lives. The one percent \u2013 the men and women who raise their right hand to defend life and liberty for Americans they will never know \u2013 are who both these bills are for,\u201d Chairman Bost said. \u201cThe first bill, H.R. 6047, raises the VA benefits for severely disabled veterans and their families who live with the visible wounds of military service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, as well as the Gold Star families of our nation\u2019s fallen heroes. These American families would never ask for anything, but our nation owes them a debt that can never fully be repaid. H.R. 6047 takes a step forward to do that for the first time in over 20 years. I want to thank both the Briley and Edmundson families, as well as our veteran service organization community, for their tireless advocacy on this landmark bill,\u201d Chairman Bost continued. \u201cThe second bill, H.R. 1041, ends a government overreach that \u2013 for far too long \u2013 has wrongfully targeted veterans and infringed on the rights granted to every single American citizen by the Constitution. This bill has been a longstanding priority for me both as a veteran, and as a sportsman, and I am proud to see it through. I am disappointed that a number of our Democrat colleagues chose politics over veteran families this week, but the American people should trust that House Republicans will continue to steer the ship and deliver results on the promises we have made to the men and women we proudly serve. I hope the Senate will pass these good bills as soon as possible.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-22T06:27:39Z", "2026-05-22T06:29:18Z"]], "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://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2888"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.1534849181771278, "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"}