{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397705", "On Passing of U.S. Rep. Marge Roukema", "2014-11-13", "2014", "2014-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, released the following statement upon learning of the death early today of former U.S. Congresswoman Margaret \u201cMarge\u201d Roukema of New Jersey. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cMarge and I were both first elected to Congress\u00a0in the Reagan Revolution of 1980, and we served together for many years,\u201d Smith said. \u201cShe was a true public servant, always looking out for New Jersey and her district. Marge\u2019s leadership role in the enactment of our nation\u2019s family medical leave legislation assisted countless families and is a fitting legacy for her time in Congress.\u00a0Marie and I offer our condolences to her family.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Smith and Roukema both were sworn into Congress in 1981. Roukema served on the Committee on Education and Labor (later renamed the Committee on Education and Workforce) and on the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs (later renamed the Committee on Financial Services). She rose to serve as chair of Financial Services\u2019 the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee, and its Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee, until retiring in 2001. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0According to the historical records of the House of Representatives, she was born Margaret Scafati in Newark, N.J., on September 19, 1929, and named for her mother. Her father, Claude, was a first generation Italian-American who worked as an auto mechanic. She earned a B.A. degree in history and political science from Montclair State College in 1951 and subsequently pursued graduate studies there. In 1975 she also did graduate work in city and regional planning at Rutgers University. She worked as a high school teacher in American history and government before marrying Richard W. Roukema, a psychiatrist. The couple raised three children: Greg, Todd, and Meg. Marge Roukema\u2019s first public service position was on the board of education in Ridgewood, N.J., where she served from 1970 to 1973. Her political activity was, in part, spurred by her 17\u2013year\u2013old son, Todd, and his battle with leukemia.\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": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397705"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8260409813374281, "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"}