{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-coons-joint-statement-on-gabon", "Booker, Coons Joint Statement on Gabon", "2023-08-30", "2023", "2023-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement in response to recent developments in Gabon:\n\n\u201cThe apparent seizure of power by Gabon\u2019s military is part of an alarming trend in West and Central Africa of military-backed coups. The Gabonese people \u2013 and people everywhere \u2013 deserve civilian-led, democratic governance. Despite Gabon\u2019s flawed elections, no group of military officers has the right to unilaterally reverse an election, suspend the government, and impose their will upon the people. We call on the Armed Forces of Gabon to release President Bongo from house arrest and return to civilian control. Only then can a just, democratic civilian government be established.\u201d\n\nSenator Booker is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chair of the Senate State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Subcommittee.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:30:18Z"]], "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.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-coons-joint-statement-on-gabon"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8786800317466259, "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"}