{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/senators-introduce-bill-to-add-acreage-to-petersburg-national-battlefield", "Senators introduce bill to add acreage to Petersburg National Battlefield", "2013-11-22", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators introduce bill to add acreage to Petersburg National Battlefield\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Louis Llovio\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Friday, November 22, 2013\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Virginia\u2019s two U.S. senators are looking to secure more than 7,000 acres for the Petersburg National Battlefield, an addition that would make it the largest Civil War battlefield in the country.\r\nU.S. Sens. Timothy M. Kaine and Mark R. Warner, both Democrats, have introduced legislation that would allow the U.S. National Park Service to acquire the land.\r\nThe bill would allow the secretary of the Interior to obtain the land \u201cfrom willing sellers only, by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange or transfer.\u201d\r\nThe bill also allows for a small land transfer between Fort Lee and the battlefield.\r\nIn 2011, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th, introduced similar legislation that failed to gain traction.\r\n\u201cThis legislation will preserve the story of one of the Civil War\u2019s most decisive engagements, the Siege of Petersburg, while aiding the local economy and boosting regional historic tourism,\u201d Kaine said in a statement Wednesday.\r\nWarner noted that the battlefield \u201cdraws visitors from all across the country and adds $11 million annually into the Petersburg economy.\u201d\r\nThe park is currently about 2,500 acres.\r\nIn 2005, the National Park Service recommended modifying the Petersburg National Battlefield to include 7,238 acres \u201cof significant core battlefield land,\u201d according to Warner\u2019s office.\r\nThat includes the site of 18 major battles during the Civil War that are in danger of being lost to development.\r\n\u201cThese sites are not currently protected within the National Battlefield and have been identified by the Civil War Trust as one of the most endangered group of historic battlefields in the country,\u201d Warner\u2019s office said in the statement.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\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.kaine.senate.gov/tim-in-the-news/senators-introduce-bill-to-add-acreage-to-petersburg-national-battlefield"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8977608997374773, "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"}