{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/healthcare-professionals-donate-15-million-hotel-reward-points-to-wounded-warriors", "Healthcare Professionals Donate 1.5 Million Hotel Reward Points to Wounded Warriors", "2013-11-20", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "MD", "Benjamin Cardin", "C000141", "www.cardin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "November 20, 2013\n\t\t\t Healthcare Professionals Donate 1.5 Million Hotel Reward Points to Wounded Warriors \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n(Washington, DC) \u2013Members of a nonprofit organization representing federal health professionals have donated more than 1.5 million hotel reward points to a program that helps defray the travel costs of wounded warriors. \u201cHotels for Heroes,\u201d which was created by bipartisan legislation passed by Congress, enables patriotic Americans to donate their hotel reward points to troops receiving care through the military health system as well as their families.\r\nSustaining Members of AMSUS, The Society of Federal Health Professionals, have donated 1,579,300 reward points from their personal accounts since February, enough to provide about 105 nights of free lodging. The organization was inspired to launch a donation drive after its past chairman saw Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger discussing the program on cable television, its leadership said.\r\n\u201cWe all want what is best for our wounded warriors and now the incredible professionals of AMSUS have provided a generous gift that will help ensure support is available to more of our troops and their families in times of need,\u201d said Senator Cardin.\u00a0 \u201cThe success of the \u2018Hotels for Heroes\u2019 program continues to be in the great partnerships that allow Americans to help those who have served our country so bravely.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\u201cHotels for Heroes,\u201d which was authored by Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Congressman Ruppersberger in 2012, is currently available to rewards customers of Marriott, Wyndham, AmericInn and Best Western hotels. The program is modeled off the national \u201cHero Miles\u201d program, which was created by Congressman Ruppersberger and enables the American public to donate their frequent flyer miles to wounded warriors and their families.\r\n\u201cThis is a great demonstration of the dedication and commitment of the AMSUS sustaining members on behalf of our fighting forces,\u201d said Vice Admiral Michael Cowan, executive director of AMSUS. \u201cI express our deep gratitude to the individual SM Members who gave so generously and made this possible.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u201cThis is yet one more example of the patriotic and generous spirit of hard-working Americans,\u201d Congressman Ruppersberger said. \u201cThe AMSUS contribution to this program \u2013 which often brings family and friends to the bedsides of recovering wounded warriors \u2013 is inspiring. I commend all members who donated to this worthy cause.\u201d\r\n\u201cHotels for Heroes\u201d is administered by the Fisher House, a non-profit organization that opens its homes to military families visiting their injured loved ones at hospitals across the country. So far, the program has provided nearly 3,000 free nights to military families.\r\n\u201cThanks to generous donations like this, \u2018Hotels for Heroes\u2019 has already saved families over $400,000 in lodging costs, and served nearly 700 families,\u201d said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. \u201cWe thank AMSUS and all their members for their generous donations.\u201d\r\nAMSUS represents nearly 8,000 members in all healthcare disciplines and serve in the Active and Reserve Components of all of the uniformed services as well as the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs. AMSUS created the Sustaining Members Section in 1953 to bring together private healthcare industry representatives with key Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Public Health Service decision-makers. \r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 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.cardin.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/healthcare-professionals-donate-15-million-hotel-reward-points-to-wounded-warriors"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6974809803068638, "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"}