{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3940", "CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE", "2021-10-18", "2021", "2021-10", "Democrat", "House", "VI", "Stacey E. Plaskett", "P000610", "plaskett.house.gov", "plaskett", "https://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "For Immediate Release Contact: Michael J. McQuerry\n\nOctober 18, 2021 202-215-8524\n\nPRESS STATEMENT\n\nCONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE\n\nWashington, DC - Congresswoman Plaskett released the following statement expressing condolences on the passing of Colin Powell:\n\nI am deeply saddened by the passing of former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. He was a towering figure to me\u2014Caribbean American, New Yorker, statesman, soldier, diplomat, servant, humble, ground breaker, pioneer and the epitome of accountability. He loved his wife and family, and his country. The first time I met him was at a State Department meeting. I staffed my boss, Larry Thompson who was the Deputy Attorney General at that time. As we walked through the hall to a conference room, a big man in a suit was bent over a copy machine trying to unjam paper. It was Secretary Powell. My boss stopped and said with a chuckle, \u201cMr. Secretary, you all right down there?\u201d Secretary Powell got off his knees with an embarrassed staffer next to him and said, \u201cGeneral Thompson, just trying to help my staff get these documents together for the meeting.\u201d My boss rolled his eyes, \u201cYou\u2019re always looking for a reason to tinker with some damn machine.\u201d They shook hands and we walked into the meeting.\n\nThis was my first and lasting impression of Mr. Powell\u2014no job was ever too big nor too small for him. He spoke and lived by the principles he believed in and was an eternal optimist. I strive to embody the diligence and excellence he exercised in whatever he set his hands and mind to do.\n\nEnter your rest sir, you\u2019ve been a good and faithful servant. I send my love and prayers for comfort and peace to his beloved wife, children, grandchildren and loved ones.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:24:51Z"]], "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://plaskett.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3940"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7722410373389721, "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"}