{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=19CFFD3F-DFAF-4F53-9338-631F4E8861B2", "Heitkamp Underscores Need to Support Strong Manufacturing Workforce at First Delivery of Cirrus Aircraft\u2019s New Vision Jet", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "GRAND FORKS, N.D. \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today highlighted the importance of bolstering manufacturing and general aviation jobs in North Dakota and across the country during the first customer delivery of Cirrus Aircraft\u2019s New Vision Jet \u2013 the world\u2019s first single-engine personal jet.\r\nJoining North Dakota officials as well as Cirrus manufacturing workers and leaders at Grand Forks Airport, Heitkamp \u2013 long a champion of manufacturing and general aviation\u2013 spoke about the need to build on today\u2019s successful milestone by promoting opportunities that help these industries thrive and support North Dakota workers who enable these businesses to run.\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s delivery is a milestone in aviation history \u2013 and it\u2019s also a significant step forward for Cirrus and the manufacturing community here in Grand Forks,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cNorth Dakota has been leading the charge in turning innovative ideas into real jobs, opportunity, and cutting-edge technologies \u2013 and by delivering the world\u2019s first single-engine personal jet, we\u2019re making history, too. In the U.S. Senate, I\u2019ve been working to encourage ideas that yield success for American businesses and workers, particularly for those in manufacturing and aviation, by fighting to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank \u2013 which helps support and grow jobs in these industries. Just as companies like Cirrus are committed to producing American-made components in Grand Forks, I\u2019ll keep pushing leaders in Congress to promote and invest in policies that keep and grow jobs here at home.\u201d\r\nLong a champion of such industries to spur innovation, job creation, and infrastructure building, Heitkamp has spearheaded efforts in the U.S. Senate to reauthorize and promote a working Export-Import Bank \u2013 an independent federal government agency and the official export credit agency of the United States. In North Dakota alone, the Export-Import Bank has supported $42 million in exports since 2011, as well as 633 jobs statewide through loans, loan guarantees, and insurance to facilitate overseas sales. Heitkamp is fighting to make sure the agency is able to fully function so it can keep supporting American businesses and workers, which it has been unable to do for about a year because there haven\u2019t been enough members on the Export-Import Bank Board. Heitkamp spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate earlier this month about this issue and the importance of supporting American workers. \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.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=19CFFD3F-DFAF-4F53-9338-631F4E8861B2"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4815679751336575, "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"}