{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C1D67D64-D2BB-4C09-88C6-1BB7603E0A4A", "Alexander: Eli Richardson Will Be an Asset to the Federal Bench", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Lamar Alexander", "A000360", "www.alexander.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, December 13, 2017\u2014United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today introduced Nashville lawyer Eli Richardson at his confirmation hearing to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.\r\n\u201cIt is my pleasure to join Mr. Richardson and introduce him to the committee today, along with his wife, Erin, his son, Wesley, and other family and friends,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cI\u2019m thankful the committee is moving this nomination along because the Middle District is a growing and busy district \u2013 so we\u2019re eager for Mr. Richardson to be approved by the committee and confirmed by the Senate.\u201d\r\nAlexander continued, \u201cI strongly support Mr. Richardson\u2019s nomination to be a district judge for the Middle District of Tennessee. Mr. Richardson\u2019s professional experience \u2013 as a litigator, FBI special agent\u00a0and federal prosecutor in the Middle District of Tennessee, where he was appointed the office\u2019s Criminal Chief \u2013 make him uniquely qualified for this position. Eli will be an asset to the federal bench, and Tennessee is fortunate to have such a well-qualified nominee who is willing to serve. I urge the members of this committee to support his nomination so he can be promptly considered by the full Senate.\u201d\r\nVideo of Alexander\u2019s full remarks is available here.\r\nAfter President Trump announced Richardson\u2019s nomination on July 13, Alexander said he had no doubt Richardson would serve Middle Tennesseans with integrity.\r\nSenators Alexander and Corker have urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to act quickly on the nominations to the Middle District of Tennessee because there are currently only two full-time district court judges. \u00a0Federal judges from across Tennessee and other states are volunteering to help with the caseload until the two district court judge vacancies can be filled.\r\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://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=C1D67D64-D2BB-4C09-88C6-1BB7603E0A4A"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6671598423272371, "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"}