{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360706", "Congressman Cuellar Applauds Use of Aerostats in Border Security Efforts", "2013-11-08", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "TX", "Henry Cuellar", "C001063", "cuellar.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX28) released the following statement on the recent move by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to test military-owned equipment as part of border security operations in the Rio Grande Valley:\r\n\u201cAs a Member of Congress representing a district along the U.S.\u2013Mexico border, I applaud the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in creatively allocating funds for border security,\u201d said Congressman Henry Cuellar.\u00a0 \u201cI have consistently advocated for law enforcement and border security agencies to use smart border technology to address the 21st century problem of securing our nation\u2019s boundaries. By reusing military equipment along the southern border, Customs and Border Protection saves valuable federal funds and improves border security for Valley residents and people across the country.\u201d\r\nAerostats are large, balloon-like devices that contain sensor equipment allowing operators to observe activity along the border that could pose a threat. The military-owned equipment provides a larger viewing area than the currently employed devices.\u00a0 According to Customs and Border Protection, the equipment will be used in Pe\u00f1itas, on the Starr/Hidalgo county line, and in Brooks County near Falfurrias.", 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://cuellar.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=360706"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6865670438855886, "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"}