{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://russell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/oklahoma-congressmen-ask-va-appoint-full-time-okc-va-director", "Oklahoma Congressmen Ask VA to Appoint Full Time OKC VA Director", "2015-11-18", "2015", "2015-11", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Steve Russell", "R000604", "russell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5), along with Congressmen Tom Cole (OK-4), Markwayne Mullin (OK-2), and Jim Bridenstine (OK-1), sent a letter to VA Secretary Robert McDonald requesting that Dr. Gerald K. Darnell be made the full time Director of the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. For the past year, Dr. Darnell has held the position of Acting Director, but has been given limited authority in that capacity. The Oklahoma City VA serves more than 300,000 veterans, over 70,000 of whom are disabled. \n\nCongressman Russell stated, We owe our veterans the best that we can possibly give them. While Dr. Darnell has done an admirable job as Acting Director, I believe that he cannot devote all he can to the worthy veterans he cares for without the full administrative powers he would have as a full time Director. This is an easy fix, and one that would benefit so many veterans who gave so much for this country. It is time to give something back.\n\nYou can read the signed letter here. \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://russell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/oklahoma-congressmen-ask-va-appoint-full-time-okc-va-director"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 6.345732137560844, "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"}