{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-statement-on-smithsonian-secretary-lonnie-g-bunch-iii/", "Merkley Statement on Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", "merkley", "https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "\u201cAs Secretary of the Smithsonian, Lonnie Bunch sought to make the Institution more than a place for tourists to see artifacts, and he succeeded by ensuring the collections reflect the vastness of the American experience. As the first historian to serve as Secretary, Lonnie brought studied research and independence to extend the Institution\u2019s mission to share America\u2019s journey in all its dimensions with visitors across the country and the world. As his crown jewel, he brought the National Museum of African American History and Culture from an idea to an extraordinary addition to the National Mall, establishing an enduring institution to tell the story of the African-American experience as an integral part of the American experience.\n\n\u201cLonnie\u2019s legacy will be standing up for the Smithsonian\u2019s independence and dedication to telling the whole American story. I congratulate Lonnie on an incredible career \u2013 including nearly 40 years at the Smithsonian \u2013 and thank him for his leadership and wisdom in telling the complete American story.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"]], "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.merkley.senate.gov/merkley-statement-on-smithsonian-secretary-lonnie-g-bunch-iii/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 5.95313822850585, "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"}