{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/comments-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-president-pro-tempore-of-the-senate-on-the-death-of-nelson-mandela", "Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., President Pro Tempore Of The Senate) On The Death Of Nelson Mandela", "2013-12-05", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.05.13\n\t\t\t Comments Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., President Pro Tempore Of The Senate) On The Death Of Nelson Mandela \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNelson Mandela is a legend for our times and for the ages.\u00a0 He was the world\u2019s compass through the dark night of South African apartheid, leading his country into the light.\u00a0 The images of his walk to freedom through the prison gates are etched in our memories and on the pages of history.\r\nHis courage is a lesson to us all, and so is his selflessness.\u00a0 I will always cherish the memory of meeting with him when he came to the Capitol in 1994.\u00a0 I had the honor of serving on the Senate\u2019s escort committee to accompany him to the House Chamber for his address to a joint meeting of Congress.\u00a0 Sitting together in a room off the House floor, I said to him, \u201cMr. President, you spent decades in prison, unjustly, yet you don\u2019t seem bitter.\u201d\u00a0 He replied, \u201cPatrick, because of my imprisonment I was able to lead my country out of apartheid.\u00a0 For that I do not feel bitterness, but joy.\u201d\u00a0\r\nThe world, his beloved nation and humankind are incalculably richer for his leadership and for his example.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tPress Contact  David Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious 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.leahy.senate.gov/press/comments-of-senator-patrick-leahy-d-vt-president-pro-tempore-of-the-senate-on-the-death-of-nelson-mandela"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0701440516859293, "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"}