{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://paulsen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=1935", "Paulsen Congratulates Edina HS Student for Winning Congressional App Challenge", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "MN", "Erik Paulsen", "P000594", "paulsen.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.\u2013 Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) announced the winner of the 2017 Congressional App Challenge, congratulating Jack Hong, a student at Edina High School. Jack created an app called Pomo Timer, which helps students enhance their productivity by blocking distracting websites on the user\u2019s computer for short periods of time.\r\n\r\n\t\u201cCongratulations to Jack Hong on winning the Congressional App Challenge,\u201d said Congressman Paulsen.\u00a0\u201cAmerica needs talented young programmers and STEM students now more than ever to fill our workforce needs for the future. I\u2019m very impressed with the ingenuity and intellectual curiosity displayed by Jack and everyone who created and submitted an app for consideration.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\r\n\tCongressman Paulsen also recognized Jack and his achievement on the floor of the House of Representatives, as well as runner-up Madeeha Rizvi of Brooklyn Park and Minnetonka Middle School students Zara Thomas and Omar Elamri on earning Honorable Mentions.\r\n\r\n\r\n\tThe apps designed by the challenge\u2019s winners will be featured on a display in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., on house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website.\r\n\r\n\tThe Congressional App Challenge was created because Congress recognized that STEM and computer-based skills are essential for economic growth and innovation, and that the U.S. has been falling behind on these fronts. By some estimates, the U.S. may be short by as many as a million programmers by 2020. These are high-paying, high-demand jobs. To maintain American competitiveness, it\u2019s crucial that the United States invests in our youth now, and helps them acquire these valuable skills. The Congressional App Challenge encourages students to pursue those skills and recognizes them for their efforts.\r\n\r\n\tCongressman Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.\r\n\r\n\tFor more information on Congressman Paulsen\u2019s work in Congress visit\u00a0paulsen.house.gov.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t###", 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://paulsen.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=1935"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.124438062310219, "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"}