{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/notable-nevadans?ContentRecord_id=15097033-961d-4ca7-812e-33d61e4efc44", "CONGRATULATING  COMMANDER DAVID SOUSA", "2014-09-23", "2014", "2014-09", "Republican", "House", "NV", "Dean Heller", "H001041", "www.heller.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "CONGRATULATING\r\nCOMMANDER DAVID SOUSA\r\nHON. DEAN HELLER\r\nOF NEVADA\r\nIN THE UNITED STATES SENATE\r\nSeptember 17th, 2014\u00a0\r\nMr. HELLER: Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate David Sousa on his being elected the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Nevada Department Commander for 2015.\u00a0 \u00a0I am proud to honor a Nevadan who has dedicated his life to serving our country and is committed to ensuring that our nation\u2019s heroes receive the care that they deserve.\r\nCommander Sousa has had a long and decorated military career in the United States Army for over 25 years.\u00a0 During his service, he has served missions in Kenya and Somolia and went on to serve in \u201cOperation Iraqi Freedom\u201d in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, as a member of the 72nd Military Police Company.\u00a0 He also went on to serve in \u201cOperation Enduring Freedom\u201d in Kandahar, Afghanistan, as a member of the 422nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Commander Sousa for his courageous contributions to the United States of America and to freedom-loving nations around the world. His service to his country and his bravery and dedication earn him a place among the outstanding men and women who have valiantly defended our nation.\r\nAs a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs, I recognize the important role the Veterans of Foreign Wars plays for combat veterans and military service members from the active, Guard, and Reserve forces. This distinguished national group of veterans has been a constant influence, furthering the voice of all of our nation\u2019s heroes. On July 22, 2014, at the 115th National Convention, David Sousa was elected Nevada Department Commander.\u00a0 Commander Sousa has served and held many roles within the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization for the past ten years and has previously been named the VFW Outstanding Veteran for 2006.\u00a0 His work for the VFW is exemplary, and I expect great things from him as he assumes his role as Nevada\u2019s Department Commander.\r\nCommander Sousa\u2019s focus of his work for this year is suicide prevention and awareness for veterans, as well as working towards a safer community for veterans.\u00a0 I commend Commander Sousa on this important goal and look forward to working with him to achieve this.\u00a0 As a member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, I recognize that Congress has a responsibility not only to honor these brave individuals who serve our nation but also to ensure they are cared for when they return home.\u00a0 I am concerned about the needs of Nevada\u2019s veterans, especially those suffering one of the most common injuries from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars\u2014post-traumatic stress. I believe Congress has a responsibility to enact policies that will help veterans overcome these difficulties and ensure that the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs have the resources necessary to meet the growing needs of Nevada and our nation\u2019s veteran communities.\u00a0 I remain committed to upholding this promise for our veterans and service members in Nevada and throughout the nation.\r\nI am both humbled and honored by Commander Sousa\u2019s service and am proud to call him a fellow Nevadan.\u00a0 Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Commander Sousa for all of his accomplishments and wish him well in all of his future endeavors.", 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.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/notable-nevadans?ContentRecord_id=15097033-961d-4ca7-812e-33d61e4efc44"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8952268399298191, "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"}