{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-the-nomination-of-exonnmobil-ceo-rex-tillerson-to-be-secretary-of-state", "Blumenthal Statement on the Nomination of ExonnMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Richard Blumenthal", "B001277", "www.blumenthal.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Blumenthal Statement on the Nomination of ExonnMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Tweet\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t[WASHINGTON, D.C.] \u2013 U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal released the following statement in response to President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s nomination of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State:\r\n\u201cThis nomination has many serious negatives \u2013 Rex Tillerson\u2019s close personal and financial relationship to Russian leaders, his conflicts of interest in ExxonMobil\u2019s investments abroad, his anti-environmental positions, and his lack of diplomatic or public service experience,\u201d Blumenthal said. \u201cOne of my major concerns is his leadership of ExxonMobil\u2019s past efforts to derail the Iran Sanctions Act, just unanimously renewed again by Congress. His continuing commitment to the interests of his oil company and the oil industry could lead him to lessen necessary sanctions against Russia and other countries. Although I have reached no final conclusion, Tillerson will have a heavy burden of doubt to overcome in the hearings on his nomination \u2013 concerns that are strongly and widely held on both sides of the aisle.\u201d\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.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-statement-on-the-nomination-of-exonnmobil-ceo-rex-tillerson-to-be-secretary-of-state"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7078710477799177, "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"}