{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-capito-lights-us-capitol-christmas-tree-from-west-virginias-monongahela-national-forest", "PHOTOS: Capito Lights U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from West Virginia\u2019s Monongahela National Forest", "2023-11-28", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "Senate", "WV", "Shelley Moore Capito", "C001047", "www.capito.senate.gov", "capito", "https://www.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "**Click here to download b-roll from the event**\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 This evening, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), along with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and members of the West Virginia Congressional Delegation, hosted the annual lighting ceremony for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.\n\nThe tree, a 63-foot Norway Spruce, hails from the Monongahela National Forest in Randolph County, W.Va. The Monongahela National Forest was the first national forest to provide the People\u2019s Tree on behalf of the Forest Service in 1970, and again in 1976.\n\n\u201cIt is with great pride that we light a beautiful Norway Spruce from the Monongahela National Forest as this year\u2019s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. This is certainly an honor for West Virginia and a task that we were eager to lend a hand on, as the people of our great state do. West Virginia has unmatched natural splendor, and our communities and residents are strong. Both of those qualities are displayed in this year\u2019s tree,\u201d Senator Capito said. \u201cI look forward to seeing this wonderful reminder of home, and sharing a gorgeous piece of our state with the rest of our nation this holiday season.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s U.S. Capitol Christmas tree represents so much of what makes America great. It was cultivated and harvested from the Monongahela National Forest, set forth for viewing in an array of communities across the country, and is now displayed for all of America to see,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWe thank the great people of West Virginia for sharing a piece of their state\u2019s abundant beauty with us in Washington.\u201d\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree ceremony dates back to 1964, with the U.S. Forest Service providing each tree since 1970. West Virginia has produced the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree twice before this year, in 1970 and 1976 respectively.\n\nThis year\u2019s theme, Endlessly Wild & Wonderful, is a play on a motto commonly used in West Virginia \u2014 Wild & Wonderful West Virginia. The tree was named \u201cwa\u2019feem\u2019tekwi\u201d by the Shawnee Tribe and means Bright Star in Shawnee. The tree was harvested on November 1 and arrived at the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on November 17 where it was decorated with approximately 5,000 handcrafted ornaments made by the Shawnee Tribe and communities across West Virginia.\n\nThe U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be lit from sundown until 11:00 p.m. every day from November 28 until January 1. The tree is tentatively scheduled to be removed on January 3, 2024. You can find additional background here.\n\nPhotos from tonight\u2019s event are included below:\n\nU.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) meets with attendees at the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.\n\nU.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with Ethan Reese, the honorary tree lighter from West Virginia, in front of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.\n\nThe U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. overlooking the National Mall on the evening of Tuesday, November 28, 2023.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "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.capito.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photos-capito-lights-us-capitol-christmas-tree-from-west-virginias-monongahela-national-forest"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.46848289296031, "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"}