{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-cassidy-cruz-resolution-condemning-abduction-demanding-release-of-pastor-ezra-jin/", "Senate Passes Cassidy, Cruz Resolution Condemning Abduction, Demanding Release of Pastor Ezra Jin", "2025-11-13", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "LA", "Bill Cassidy", "C001075", "www.cassidy.senate.gov", "cassidy", "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), released the following statements following U.S. Senate passage of their resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the abduction of Pastor Ezra Jin and other leaders of the Zion Church and calling for their release.\n\n\u201cFaith isn\u2019t a crime. We need to call out China for once more targeting people of faith,\u201d said Dr. Cassidy.\n\n\u201cChristians are fighting daily for their religious freedom against the Chinese Communist Party. Last month, the CCP carried out its largest nationwide crackdown in over four decades against a Christian house church in China. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Coons and my colleagues for standing with me to demand Pastor Jin and his congregation\u2019s release and to make clear that any government that fears faith is tyrannical,\u201d said Senator Cruz.\n\nCassidy and Cruz were joined by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tim Scott (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jim Justice (R-WV), and Rick Scott (R-FL) in introducing the resolution.\n\nBackground\n\nOn October 10, 2025, the CCP conducted the largest coordinated, nationwide crackdown against a Christian urban house church in over four decades. At least 22 pastors and church members from Zion Church, one of China\u2019s largest underground congregations, were arrested, including a prominent pastor and the founder of Zion Church, Pastor \u201cEzra\u201d Jin Mingri.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "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.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-cassidy-cruz-resolution-condemning-abduction-demanding-release-of-pastor-ezra-jin/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5061763115227222, "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"}