{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-senator-doug-jones-leads-second-annual-bipartisan-reading-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jrs-letter-from-birmingham-jail-on-the-senate-floor", "VIDEO: Senator Doug Jones Leads Second Annual Bipartisan Reading of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\u2019s Letter from Birmingham Jail on the Senate Floor", "2020-06-16", "2020", "2020-06", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Doug Jones", "J000300", "www.jones.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Senator DougJones (D-Ala.) today led a bipartisan commemorative reading of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jailin the United States Senate chamber.\r\nAfter a special introduction from Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.),Senator Jones was joinedin the reading by SenatorsSherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Duckworth (D- Ill.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.),andMitt Romney (R-Utah).\r\nI believe the wisdom of this letter is perhaps the best frame to view how we move forward during this moment, the movement of this time, the movement of this generation,Senator Jones saidin his closing remarks.In passage after passage, Dr. King warns us how easily people can fall back to accepting the status quo  how easily people can hear the word wait' when, in fact, that word means never.' From a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, Dr. King told us that action in that moment was critical so that issues of racism and inequality would no longer be ignored. And here we are, 57 years later and his words are still just as timely, that action in this moment  our moment  is likewise critical so that issues of systemic racism and inequality can finally be erased.\r\nThis is the second year in a row Senator Jones has organized a reading of the Letter from Birmingham Jail on the Senate floor.\r\n\r\nYou can view the complete reading of the letterhere.\r\n\r\n\r\nIndividual clips of participating members, in event order, are also available here:\r\n\r\nIntroduction: Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C).\r\nSenator John Kennedy (R-La.)\r\nSenator Doug Jones (D-Ala.)\r\nSenator James Lankford (R-Okla.)\r\nSenator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)\r\nSenator Mitt Romney (R-Utah)\r\nSenator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)\r\nClosing Remarks: Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.)", 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.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-senator-doug-jones-leads-second-annual-bipartisan-reading-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jrs-letter-from-birmingham-jail-on-the-senate-floor"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3968728017061949, "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"}