{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-senator-peters-releases-statement-ahead-of-the-250th-anniversary-of-the-founding-of-the-united-states-of-america", "VIDEO: Senator Peters Releases Statement Ahead of the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States of America", "2026-07-03", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Gary C. Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", "garypeters", "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a former Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, released a video statement ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation.\n\n\u201cThis is an incredible milestone that speaks to the strength of our democracy and the American people,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cOur founding fathers took an incredible risk by standing up to a king. In signing the Declaration of Independence, they sent a profound and revolutionary message that the world had not yet heard: that all people are created equal, and are guaranteed a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.\u201d\n\nClick here for unedited video of his remarks and see below the text as delivered:\n\n\u201cHello, I\u2019m U.S. Senator Gary Peters. Happy 4th of July and 250th birthday to this great nation that we call home.\n\n\u201cThis year, on July 4th, Michiganders and Americans across the country will gather together to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation. This is an incredible milestone that speaks to the strength of our democracy and the American people.\n\n\u201cOur founding fathers took an incredible risk by standing up to a king.\n\n\u201cIn signing the Declaration of Independence, they sent a profound and revolutionary message that the world had not yet heard: that all people are created equal and are guaranteed a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.\n\n\u201c250 years later, that document continues to serve as our guiding light. And throughout our nation\u2019s entire history, we\u2019ve worked to live up to those founding ideals.\n\n\u201cI believe that understanding our history is critical to understanding how we can move forward and chart a new course for the next 250 years.\n\n\u201cMy hope for this anniversary is that we all take the time to reflect on the long and complex history of this nation, which includes the stories of every single American.\n\n\u201cHere in Michigan, that history includes the autoworkers and manufacturers who put the world on wheels, powered the industrial revolution, and created the American middle class.\n\n\u201cIt includes visionaries like Berry Gordy and the founders of Motown, who created the iconic music that defined a generation and shaped the culture of Detroit.\n\n\u201cAnd it includes the generations of Michigan veterans and servicemembers who throughout our history have answered the call to defend our democracy, our freedoms, and the American ideals that we hold so dear. Their service is a debt that we will never be able to repay.\n\n\u201cSo, while we should all take a moment to celebrate this incredible milestone, may this anniversary serve as a reminder of the work that we must do together to fulfill the promise of America for our children and grandchildren to come.\n\n\u201cGod bless you, God bless all of our troops, and God bless the United States of America.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-04T07:41:55Z", "2026-07-04T07:42:45Z"]], "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.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/video-senator-peters-releases-statement-ahead-of-the-250th-anniversary-of-the-founding-of-the-united-states-of-america"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4837752096354961, "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"}