{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-announces-the-appointment-of-upstate-new-yorks-very-own-natalie-merchant-singer-songwriter-to-the-american-folklife-center-board-of-trustees", "SCHUMER ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF UPSTATE NEW YORK\u2019S VERY OWN NATALIE MERCHANT, SINGER-SONGWRITER, TO THE AMERICAN FOLKLIFE CENTER BOARD OF TRUSTEES", "2022-11-18", "2022", "2022-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Charles E. Schumer", "S000148", "www.schumer.senate.gov", "schumer", "https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Schumer Says Natalie Merchant, A Jamestown Native And Current Hudson Valley Resident, Has Had A Profound Influence On The American Music\n\nAs Board Member Of The Library Of Congress\u2019s American Folklife Center, Natalie Will Aid The Policy Direction And Ongoing Preservation Of The Nation\u2019s Folklife And Culture\n\nSchumer To Natalie: 'You've been so kind and generous' And Your Contributions Will Help Conserve America\u2019s Music And Folk History For Generations To Come!\n\nU.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced his appointment of singer-songwriter, Natalie Merchant, to the Library of Congress\u2019s American Folklife Center Board of Trustees to support the ongoing preservation and promotion of one of the nation\u2019s most important treasures, it\u2019s rich folklore, cultural traditions, music, and arts, and aide in the long-term planning and policy direction of the center.\n\n\u201cNatalie Merchant, has been an important singer-songwriter for decades, both as a solo artist and as former lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs. Raised in Jamestown and now a resident of the Hudson Valley, she has had a profound impact on American music culture and has an invaluable perspective for American folk tradition. She is the working heir to the legacy of Billie Holiday, Odetta, Pete Seeger and Levon Helm. That is why I am proud to appoint Upstate New York\u2019s own Natalie Merchant to the Library of Congress\u2019s American Folklife Center Board of Trustees,\u201d said Senator Schumer. \u201cShe\u2019ll make her way and provide important contributions to the board\u2019s ongoing policy for the hub of American folklife. Natalie \u2013 you\u2019ve been so kind and generous - and your service will help preserve our nation\u2019s most important cultural treasures for generations to come.\u201d\n\nNatalie Merchant said, \u201cIt\u2019s such an honor to be selected to serve on the Folklife Center board. I\u2019ve admired the work of this agency for many years and hope to find some way to help further their mission of preserving and promoting all forms of folk arts in America.\u201d\n\nAbout the American Folklife Center\n\nThe American Folklife Center was created in 1976 by the U.S. Congress to \"preserve and present American folklife\" through programs of research, documentation, archival preservation, reference service, live performance, exhibitions, publications, and training. Designated by the U.S. Congress as the national center for folklife documentation and research, the American Folklife Center continues to collect and document living traditional culture, while preserving for the future its unparalleled collections in the state-of-the-art preservation facilities of the Library of Congress.\n\nThe American Folklife Center Archive, established in the Library of Congress Music Division in 1928, is now one of the largest archives of ethnographic materials from the United States and around the world, encompassing millions of items of ethnographic and historical documentation recorded from the nineteenth century to the present. These collections, which include extensive audiovisual documentation of traditional arts, cultural expressions, and oral histories, offer researchers access to the songs, stories, and other creative expressions of people from diverse communities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:24:37Z"]], "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.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-announces-the-appointment-of-upstate-new-yorks-very-own-natalie-merchant-singer-songwriter-to-the-american-folklife-center-board-of-trustees"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4280329924076796, "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"}