{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-celebrates-justin-smiths-confirmation-to-eighth-circuit-court-of-appeals/", "Senator Schmitt Celebrates Justin Smith\u2019s Confirmation to Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals", "2026-06-15", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Eric Schmitt", "S001227", "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "schmitt", "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Smith Served as Schmitt\u2019s Chief of Staff in the Missouri Attorney General\u2019s Office\n\nU.S. SENATE \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed President Trump\u2019s nominee for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Justin Smith. Smith formerly served as Schmitt\u2019s Chief of Staff and First Assistant in the Missouri Attorney General\u2019s office and as a Senior Advisor to Schmitt in the Senate.\n\n\u201cJustin Smith will make an outstanding judge and I\u2019m proud to see him confirmed to the Eighth Circuit. Justin understands our part of the country, our legal tradition, and the proper role of a judge within our constitutional system. I\u2019ve had the honor of working with Justin over multiple chapters of his career in public service and I know he will do an excellent job interpreting and applying the law faithfully,\u201d said Senator Schmitt.\n\nSmith is the latest Schmitt-alum to be tapped by President Trump and serving in the federal legal system.\n\nJohn Sauer, Solicitor General, Department of Justice\n\nTom Albus, U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri\n\nCristian Stevens, District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri\n\nMaria Lanahan, District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri\n\nZach Bluestone, District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri\n\nJosh Divine, District Judge, Eastern and Western District of Missouri\n\nJesus Osete, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, Department of Justice\n\nMichael Talent, Assistant Solicitor General, Department of Justice\n\nRachel Jag, Associate Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice\n\nJustin Smith, Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-16T06:53:21Z", "2026-06-16T06:55:02Z"]], "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/senator-schmitt-celebrates-justin-smiths-confirmation-to-eighth-circuit-court-of-appeals/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3029451947659254, "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"}