{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=029504B7-1949-459F-AE40-8BDF14A006A0", "Thune, Johnson Applaud Decision to Keep Hot Springs VA Medical Center Open", "2020-10-09", "2020", "2020-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) issued the following statements after Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie notified them that the VA has formally rescinded its earlier record of decision to realign the VA Black Hills Health Care System, which would have significantly reduced services at the Hot Springs VA medical center.\n\n\u201cWe dug in and held fast \u2013 through two administrations and four secretaries \u2013 to keep the Hot Springs facility open, but we would never have succeeded without the passion and persistence of Hot Springs veterans and the Hot Springs community, which rallied in support of the facility since day one,\u201d said Thune. \u201cI\u2019m thankful to Secretary Wilkie for taking a serious look at South Dakota veterans\u2019 concerns, seeing the opportunity in Hot Springs, and reversing the VA\u2019s decision to close the facility. I look forward to celebrating with South Dakota veterans the next time I\u2019m in \u2018the Veterans\u2019 Town,\u2019 a title Hot Springs so richly deserves.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn March, Secretary Wilkie promised the delegation the Hot Springs VA would not close,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cThe VA announcement to formally rescind its earlier record of decision which would have significantly reduced services at the Hot Springs VA is welcome news. I know our veterans will be relieved by Secretary Wilkie\u2019s commitment after the many years of uncertainty. I\u2019m grateful for the Administration\u2019s decision and proud of the years of work members of the delegation have put in to ensure our veterans have the services they deserve.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-28T00:34:36Z"]], "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.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=029504B7-1949-459F-AE40-8BDF14A006A0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.840228982269764, "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"}