{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=EA679E20-6669-4201-BDE4-59C3FC75910B", "Warner Applauds House Passage of Bill to Honor OSS Veterans", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Last evening, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation authored by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to honor veterans of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with a Congressional Gold Medal. The bill recognizes the members of the intelligence agency for their \u201csuperior service and major contributions during World War II.\u201d It now heads to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cFor many years, the heroic contributions of the OSS \u2013 which included some of the most daring covert operations of World War II \u2014 remained shrouded in secrecy, their impact largely unknown to the American public. Today, Congress is able to publicly recognize the members of the OSS for their remarkable heroism and many sacrifices,\u201d said Sen. Warner. \u201cAs the predecessor to the modern CIA, other elements of the U.S. intelligence community, and U.S. special operations forces, the OSS once boasted nearly 13,000 members, but more than 70 years after they won the war, fewer than 100 are still with us. I know how much it means to the veterans of the OSS, as well as their families, that this legislation is finally making its way to the President\u2019s desk to be signed into law. Congress has now ensured that their courage of spirit and their love of country will long live on in our nation\u2019s memory.\u201d\r\nThe OSS conducted critical operations during the war including establishing intelligence networks, training resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia, and carrying out \u201cmercy missions\u201d at the end of the war to save the lives of thousands of Allied prisoners of war. It was created in 1942 under the leadership of General William J. Donovan to better coordinate and oversee American intelligence operations. At its peak, 13,000 members served in the OSS including notable names such as Julia Child, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., John Ford, and James Donovan, who was depicted in the 2015 movie, \u201cBridge of Spies.\u201d A number of OSS veterans were present in the House gallery when the legislation was approved.\r\nSen. Warner is the incoming Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This summer, he lead an effort to recognize Virginia OSS veteran Stephanie Rader by posthumously awarding her the Legion of Merit.\r\n###", 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.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=EA679E20-6669-4201-BDE4-59C3FC75910B"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8877359796315432, "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"}