{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-offers-agenda-update-weekly-press-conference", "Speaker Ryan: 'It's about time the hardworking people of this country get a break'", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Summary: Today at his weekly press conference, Speaker Ryan offered his sympathy to the people of Southern California who are suffering from devastating wildfires. He also addressed today\u2019s House Committee on Administration\u2019s hearing on sexual harassment and the House\u2019s continued work to advance the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.\nSouthern California\n\u201cFirst of all, I just want to say to the people in Southern California: We want you to know we\u2019re thinking of you as you deal with these devastating fires that continue to tear through your region. When you see all these areas being evacuated, it\u2019s very clear that many families are going to be piecing back their lives throughout the holiday season. \u201cSo, just to echo what the Majority Leader said yesterday, we are here to help. To all those firefighters who are out there running into these fires, we\u2019re grateful for you. We\u2019re praying for you.\nSexual Harassment Hearing\n\u201cSecond, this morning, the House Committee on Administration is presently holding a wide-ranging hearing on our reporting and settlement process for sexual harassment. The goal of this hearing is to take a look at the entire system. We want to identify what reforms are needed to change the way things work.\n\u201cIn addition to better policies to protect women, we also need a real culture change. We need to recognize that this is a pervasive problem\u2014that women face not just here in Congress, but in every industry.\n\u201cAnd this really is a watershed moment, and it needs to lead to lasting and positive change.  Conference Committee on Tax Reform\n\u201cLastly, with the Senate\u2019s vote yesterday, it is official: We are going to committee\u2014a conference committee\u2014on tax reform. With this last, long step\u2014this step-by-step process that began with dozens of hearings over the course of several years\u2014we are now on our way to getting real relief.\n\u201cI know people are hearing a lot of hysteria and a lot of hyperbole from opponents of this plan. All kinds of doom and gloom. None of this surprises me. The defenders of the status quo just see their old, broken system slipping away from them. \u201cWe believe it\u2019s about time the hardworking people of this country get a break. We believe it\u2019s about time the people living paycheck-to-paycheck get some relief. \u201cIn the end, this really comes down to what people care about: More money in their paychecks. More jobs. A healthier economy. Faster economic growth. More fairness. More peace of mind when Tax Day rolls around. That\u2019s what this is about. And it\u2019s about getting beyond the status quo.\n\u201cSo for the people who are out there who want to cut through all the noise, the hysteria, the hyperbole, just go to fairandsimple.gop\u2014see for yourself what this is all about, what it is we\u2019re trying to do to improve the lives of millions and millions of hard-working Americans.\u201d", 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.speaker.gov/general/speaker-ryan-offers-agenda-update-weekly-press-conference"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9767762385308743, "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"}