{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/natural-resources-committee-passes-keep-america-s-refuges-operational", "Natural Resources Committee Passes Keep Americas Refuges Operational Act", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "AR", "Bruce Westerman", "W000821", "westerman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 The House Committee on Natural Resources passed H.R. 3979 \u2013 the Keep America\u2019s Refuges Operational Act \u2013 on Thursday (November 30). The bill, co-sponsored by Congressman Bruce Westerman, would \u201creauthorize the volunteer services, community partnership, and refuge education programs of the National Wildlife Refuge System.\u201d\nThe bipartisan bill, introduced by primary sponsor Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, is co-sponsored by five Democrats and 12 Republicans.\n\u201cThis bill allows volunteers in our communities to serve their fellow man and improve our nation\u2019s wildlife refuges,\u201d Westerman said. \u201cGroups like Friends of Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge in Yell County have played an important role in their local NWR and it is vital for our refuges that local groups continue to have the ability to provide volunteer services at no cost to taxpayers. I look forward to this bill\u2019s quick passage in the House.\u201d", 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://westerman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/natural-resources-committee-passes-keep-america-s-refuges-operational"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 3.3408720046281815, "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"}