{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/11/tester-risch-encourage-zinke-to-increase-veterans-access-to-national-parks", "Tester, Risch Encourage Zinke to Increase Veterans Access to National Parks", "2017-11-01", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "ID", "Jim Risch", "R000584", "www.risch.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators\u2019 Bill Would Create Lifetime Pass For Free Entry for Veterans\r\n\r\n(U.S. Senate)\u2014U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Jim Risch are encouraging the U.S. Interior Department to increase veterans\u2019 access to national parks and public lands.\r\nTester and Risch are asking Secretary Zinke to support their bipartisan Honoring Service Through National Park Access Act to encourage more veterans to experience all National Park Service sites.\u00a0 Tester and Risch\u2019s bill creates a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass that veterans can purchase for a discounted, one-time fee.\u00a0 The pass will allow veterans free entry to all sites for a lifetime.\r\n\u201cIt is critically important that we reduce the barriers veterans face when accessing our National Parks and public lands,\u201d the Senators wrote.\u00a0 \u201cWe look forward to working with the Department of Interior as your advance initiatives to ensure that more veterans are able to experience these treasured places.\u201d\u00a0\r\nThe Senators\u2019 letter is in response to Zinke\u2019s recent meeting with veteran service organizations regarding veteran\u2019s access to national parks and public lands.\r\nTester and Risch underscored in their letter that they share Zinke\u2019s sentiment that national parks and public lands provide veterans with a \u201chealing opportunity for their physical and emotional wounds\u201d from their service.\r\nTester and Risch\u2019s letter to Zinke is available HERE.", 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.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/11/tester-risch-encourage-zinke-to-increase-veterans-access-to-national-parks"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.784977037459612, "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"}