{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=3a247947-0db8-4c6b-8d47-52c3119adfd2", "Group Awarded U.S. Citizenship at Ceremony | WHAG", "2013-10-26", "2013", "2013-10", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "October 26, 2013\n\t\t\t Group Awarded U.S. Citizenship at Ceremony | WHAG \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A special ceremony was held Friday morning at the U.S. District Court in Martinsburg. Among those attending were U.S. Senator Joe Manchin D-WV, and some special guests.\r\nIt was also a very busy morning in the courtroom, as many were being sworn in as citizens of the United States.\r\nOfficials say 38 people from 21 different countries took their oath.\r\nSot Eva Marie Bedana Moreno is originally from the Philippines. She now lives in Martinsburg, and she became a U.S. citizen.\r\n\"I'm very excited, happy, and now I can say I'm part of America,\" Moreno said.\r\nA part of America, as they received their certificates of citizenship from Senator Joe Manchin.\r\nManchin said it's a refreshing change from the constant complaining and dysfunction of Washington.\r\n\"\u2026And when you see people that have worked hard, that came here for the land of promise, to basically the land of opportunity, and still believe in America. It kind of reinforces, it reinvigorates me, but it reinforces that this is the best country on earth,\" said Senator Manchin after the ceremony.\r\nOne new citizen said he's actually living the American Dream.\r\n\"I had about $500 in my pocket. I didn't have anything else,\u201d said Titus Warui, who came from Kenya to Falling Waters.\r\n\u201cI just came here and dreamed that one day I would make things work, or things would work out. I believed that it was all going to work out,\" he said.\r\nAnd it did work out. Titus has been here for over 11 years. He now has with a family of three kids, and they couldn\u2019t be more excited for him.\r\nSenator Manchin also encouraged those who are coming to the United States to obtain U.S. citizenship legally.\r\nHe says our arms, and doors are still open.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t    By:\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t    Caitlin Francis\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 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.manchin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/in-the-news?ContentRecord_id=3a247947-0db8-4c6b-8d47-52c3119adfd2"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8748030997812748, "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"}