{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401871", "Rep. Simpson Supports the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act", "2026-02-12", "2026", "2026-02", "Republican", "House", "ID", "Michael K. Simpson", "S001148", "simpson.house.gov", "simpson", "https://simpson.house.gov/news", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014 Today, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson voted in favor of H.R. 2189, the Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act, a bill that would give law enforcement the resources they need while ensuring police departments across the country have access to the most effective less-than-lethal equipment.\n\n\u201cBrave law enforcement officers serve and protect our communities every day. There is no reason they shouldn\u2019t be equipped with the most effective tools and technology available to protect themselves and our neighborhoods. As men and women in uniform continue to face dangerous situations, our laws must adapt to advancing technology so that law enforcement can protect the public while keeping themselves safe,\u201d said Rep. Simpson, a cosponsor of this legislation.\n\nBackground:\n\nUnder current law, law enforcement is discouraged from utilizing important new, less-than-lethal technologies, such as long-range tasers, by failing to clearly distinguish these devices from traditional firearms. The Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act not only modernizes the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) by excluding \u2018less-than-lethal projectile devices' from its definition of the term \u2018firearm\u2019, but also creates a new definition for these devices, leading to a lower likelihood of the use of deadly force and increasing community safety.\n\nThe measure was approved with a vote of 233-185.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "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://simpson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=401871"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5549329109489918, "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"}