{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=506bd4fa-b33b-4398-acba-6936839cb30c", "Senator Blunt\u2019s Bill To Promote Religious Freedom In Middle East Passes Senate Panel", "2013-12-18", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly passed U.S. Senator Roy Blunt\u2019s (Mo.) bipartisan legislation to appoint a special envoy for the purpose of promoting religious freedom among religious minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia. Under Blunt\u2019s bill, the envoy would hold the rank of ambassador and work in coordination with the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom to monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious minorities in these regions.\u00a0In addition to working with foreign governments and relevant multilateral organizations, the envoy would coordinate these efforts with the Secretary of State. To read the bill, click here. \u201cThe continued violence we\u2019ve witnessed against Coptic Christians and other civilians in the Middle East is deeply disturbing and defies the religious freedoms that Americans hold dear,\u201d said Blunt. \u201cI\u2019m pleased the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed this important bipartisan legislation, and I urge Majority Leader Reid to allow a vote to demonstrate to leaders in the region that the United States takes religious freedom seriously,\u201d Blunt continued. Blunt\u2019s legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (Mich.) and 18 other U.S. Senators. U.S. Representative Frank Wolf (Va.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In October 2013, Blunt joined U.S. Senators Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry noting recent reports of more frequent, targeted attacks against Coptic churches and individuals in Egypt \u201cwarrants a clear U.S. response.\u201d In August\u00a02013, Blunt reiterated his calls for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting and protecting religious freedoms throughout the region.  Blunt serves as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. He is also one of three U.S. Senators serving on both the defense authorizing and appropriations committees.\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://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=506bd4fa-b33b-4398-acba-6936839cb30c"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2583299539983273, "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"}