{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-announces-senate-passage-of-bill-to-establish-commission-to-honor", "Norton Announces Senate Passage of Bill to Establish Commission to Honor Bicentennial of Frederick Douglass Birth", "2017-10-19", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "DC", "Eleanor Norton", "N000147", "norton.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced that the Senate last night passed her Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act (H.R. 2989).\u00a0 The bill, which last week passed the House and now heads to the president\u2019s desk, would establish a commission to plan, develop and carry out programs and activities to honor and celebrate the life of Frederick Douglass, the country\u2019s greatest abolitionist for slavery, during the bicentennial anniversary of his birth, in 2018.\u00a0 Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) is the original cosponsor of Norton\u2019s bill, and Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the Senate companion.\n\u201cI am grateful to the Republican and Democratic Senate leadership for ushering swift passage of our bipartisan bill to honor the life of Frederick Douglass,\u201d Norton said.\u00a0 \u201cWith the president\u2019s signature, the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission can begin planning its recommendations for the most fitting ways Congress and the nation can celebrate the life of a truly great American.\u00a0 We in the District of Columbia, Douglass\u2019 home for most of his adult life, are particularly excited to start brainstorming possible events to recognize his significant contributions to our city and the nation.\u201d\nThe Commission would plan, develop and carry out programs and activities that are fitting and proper to honor Douglass on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth.\u00a0 The Commission would also recommend programs and activities to Congress.\u00a0 The Commission would be composed of 16 members appointed by the president and congressional leadership.\u00a0 Four members appointed by the president would be based on the recommendations of the D.C. mayor and the governors of Maryland, Massachusetts and New York.\n###", 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://norton.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norton-announces-senate-passage-of-bill-to-establish-commission-to-honor"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8588568307459354, "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"}