{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-secures-major-victory-for-442d-fighter-wing-and-whiteman-air-force-base/", "Schmitt Secures Major Victory for 442d\u00a0Fighter Wing and Whiteman Air Force Base", "2026-07-29", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Eric Schmitt", "S001227", "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "schmitt", "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "scraper", "U.S. SENATE \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement following news the U.S. Air Force would recapitalize the 442d Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri. The announcement follows Senator Schmitt\u2019s advocacy to maintain the Fighter Wing, which has decades of proven combat experience and cost-effective operations.\n\n\u201cThis is a major victory for the 442d Fighter Wing, for Missouri, and for our national security. As one of the most historic and highly decorated Fighter Wings in our nation\u2019s history, it carries a storied history and a legacy that has become emblematic of America\u2019s military superiority. However, this legacy didn\u2019t come from nowhere\u2014it is built upon the expertise and knowledge of airmen and engineers who made the A-10 fighter aircraft fleet one of the most lethal in the world, driving countless counterterrorism operations and ensuring America\u2019s aerial dominance. Since my first days in the Senate, I\u2019ve been fighting for the future of this mission, and last year, I wrote to Secretary Hegseth urging him to recapitalize the 442d at Whiteman Air Force Base and ensure decades of combat and operational experience stay in Missouri while keeping our homeland safe. I am proud to see the 442d and the brave patriots who serve in it will continue to protect our skies and carry the legacy of our nation\u2019s heroes,\u201d said Senator Schmitt.\n\nIn August 2025, Schmitt sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to reiterate the value of the 442d Fighter Wing. In the letter, Schmitt urged Secretary Hegseth to recapitalize the fighter mission.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-30T07:32:48Z", "2026-07-30T07:34:08Z"]], "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.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-secures-major-victory-for-442d-fighter-wing-and-whiteman-air-force-base/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7835098076611757, "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"}