{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2025/9/general/video-blackburn-pays-tribute-to-charlie-kirk-reflects-on-his-personal-impact-and-national-legacy", "VIDEO: Blackburn Pays Tribute to Charlie Kirk, Reflects on His Personal Impact and National Legacy", "2025-09-18", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "Senate", "TN", "Marsha Blackburn", "B001243", "www.blackburn.senate.gov", "blackburn", "https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/news/cc8c80c1-d564-4bbb-93a4-f1d772346ae0", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor to honor the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk, who was tragically assassinated at a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Senator Blackburn reflected not only on Charlie\u2019s impact as a conservative youth leader and founder of Turning Point USA, but also on her personal connection to him.\n\nClick here to download Senator Blackburn\u2019s remarks on the Senate floor.\n\nREMARKS AS PREPARED\n\nCharlie Kirk Was a True American Patriot with a Generous Spirit\n\n\u201cTennesseans and Americans across the country are grieving the loss of a true American patriot: Charlie Kirk.\n\nHe was a champion for freedom. He was a role model for millions of young people across our country. And he was a devoted husband and father who loved his family more than anything.\n\nBy adopting my colleague\u2019s resolution, this chamber has an opportunity to honor his incredible legacy.\n\nWe are going to miss him desperately, and I join so many across the country who are mourning with his family and praying for justice to be served.\n\nI am grateful to have known Charlie personally, spending many hours speaking with him at Turning Point USA\u2014the grassroots movement he started at just 18 years old that has changed our country for the better.\n\nCharlie always made a point to stay in contact, offer help to push issues forward, and lend a hand, no matter how big or small the cause.\n\nI\u2019ll share just one example of his generosity of spirit.\n\nYoung People Felt Like Charlie Was Rooting for Them\n\nMy eldest grandson was such a fan of Charlie, he tried starting a Turning Point Chapter at his school. But the school wouldn\u2019t allow it.\n\nI texted Charlie to let him know, and Charlie jumped in to support my grandson and thank him for the effort.\n\nAnd my grandson said he really felt like Charlie was rooting for him. I think that's the way young people felt.\n\nThey felt that Charlie was on their side, and Charlie wanted the best for them, and he wanted to encourage them, and he helped them to think critically through issues that matter to our country.\n\nBlackburn Implores the Next Generation to Honor Charlie\u2019s Life by Fighting for the Movement He Championed\n\nTo any young person mourning this tremendous loss, I encourage you to honor Charlie\u2019s memory by continuing to support his movement to realize a conservative, prosperous United States of America.\n\nCharlie believed in hard work and smart work, so honor him by working hard, by working smart, by looking for those opportunities to be a leader, to dream those big dreams like Charlie did, and then find a way to make those dreams come true. That is how you honor his life and his legacy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "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.blackburn.senate.gov/2025/9/general/video-blackburn-pays-tribute-to-charlie-kirk-reflects-on-his-personal-impact-and-national-legacy"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9316578507423401, "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"}