{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.speaker.gov/press-release/speaker-ryan-11-year-old-montanan-light-2017-capitol-christmas-tree", "Speaker Ryan, 11-Year-Old Montanan Light 2017 Capitol Christmas Tree", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Paul Ryan", "R000570", "www.speaker.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014Tonight, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) participated in the 2017 Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the West Front Lawn, where he was joined by 11-year-old Montanan Ridley Brandmayr, who helped flip the light switch for the holiday season. An annual tradition, this year\u2019s tree hails from the Kootenai National Forest in Montana and will be lit from nightfall until 11 p.m. each evening through New Year\u2019s Day. Below are Speaker Ryan\u2019s remarks as prepared for delivery:\n\u201cThank you, Stephen. I just want to commend everyone who came together to make all of this possible. I know so much work goes into this, from start to finish.\n\u201cI want to thank all the members of our Montana delegation. One of our former colleagues, Secretary Zinke, is with us. Moments like this when you have the chance to show off your state mean so much.\n\u201cAt the end of each year, no matter how short\u2014or long\u2014it may feel, there is always Christmas. Waiting for us is that sense of wonder the shepherds felt when the angels appeared in the night sky to herald the birth of a Savior. After hearing the news, the shepherds knew they had to go see for themselves what this was all about.\n\u201c\u2019Let\u2019s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,\u2019 they said.\n\u201cThat is the true spirit of Christmas, isn\u2019t it? Amid our cares and troubles, we gather to see for ourselves that the light overcomes the darkness. We seek out the joy and the good in the world. We give back to those in need. We lend a hand to those in pain.\n\u201cWe see that the glory of God shines all around us, and brings us closer to one another. These gifts never dim in our hearts. They are always there. All we need is a little light\u2013and of course, a little Christmas\u2013to guide our path.\n\u201cWith that, we now come to the best part. It is clear that this year\u2019s tree represents the full heart and spirit of the Big Sky State. From the gratitude of the driver who hauled it here, Larry Spiekermeier of Plains, who called it the \u2018crown jewel\u2019 of his career, to the hope and perseverance of our Official Tree Lighter, 11-year-old Ridley Brandmayr of Bozeman. Ridley, why don\u2019t you come up here?\n\u201cWith us tonight are Ridley\u2019s parents, Emily and Brent, as well as his younger brother, Ross. Ridley is a sixth grader at Sacajawea Middle School. A big hello to all the students and teachers there. So it says here that Ridley enjoys fly fishing, skiing, hunting, soccer, competitive swimming, playing cello, and reading. Geez. Is that all?\n\u201cTonight, on behalf of the good people of Montana, Ridley offers holiday greetings to all Americans. OK Ridley, let\u2019s give everyone a five-second countdown\u2026\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/press-release/speaker-ryan-11-year-old-montanan-light-2017-capitol-christmas-tree"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8591418154537678, "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"}