Advancing the America First Agenda

by Keeping Government Open

I hate funding the government through continuing resolutions, but this one is necessary to keep the government open and working for our constituents.

A government shutdown would be disastrous—harming our military, preventing veterans from getting the benefits they’ve earned, and derailing President Trump’s progress on our America First agenda. Keeping the government open shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but Democrats rejected this bill with no partisan poison pills.

If the government shuts down, it will be solely at the hands of Congressional Democrats.

Watch full debate remarks here: 

$23 MILLION for MO-04

12/12 Appropriations Bills Passed out of Committee

In a historic achievement, House Republicans have advanced all twelve individual appropriations bills out of committee on a condensed timeline.

Under the leadership of Chairman Tom Cole, we are responsibly funding our government, while returning to regular order, restoring fiscal sanity, and advancing President Trump’s America First agenda.

I’m also proud to have secured almost $23 million in federal investments into the Fourth District in these committee-passed bills to help turn the Show Me State into the Grow Me State. We will continue working around the clock to avoid a disastrous government shutdown, and I urge Democrats to join us.

Federal investments into the Fourth District in committee-passed bills through Community Project Funding:

• Rural Health Care
  • $1,622,500 million for a regional maternal health center at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital in Clinton
  • $750,200 for a rural health innovation center at Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia
• University of Missouri at Columbia
  • $4.2 million for safe and reliable reactor operations
  • $3 million for an agriculture animal genetics facility
• Infrastructure
  • $6 million for the Skyhaven Airport Expansion at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg
  • $397,000 for the White Road Non-NBI Bridge Replacement in Oak Grove
• Law Enforcement
  • $750,000 for the sally port at the Missouri Law Enforcement Center in St. Claire County
  • $120,000 for new radios for the City of Peculiar Police Department
• Workforce Development
  • $6 million for the Workforce Training Center for Agriculture Advancement at State Fair Community College in Sedalia

We also fought for and secured two amendments to the committee-passed appropriations bills that directly benefit the Fourth District, including:

• During the Appropriations Committee’s consideration of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, Congressman Alford co-led a bipartisan amendment directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain its capabilities and to avoid closures, consolidations, or eliminations, given their essential role in advancing weather forecasting. This amendment, which passed by voice vote, is a continuation of Congressman Alford’s fight to ensure Fourth District residents receive adequate warning of dangerous weather patterns through the NOAA-NWS office in Pleasant Hill.
  • Watch my remarks in support of his amendment here:

• During the Appropriations Committee’s consideration of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026, Congressman Alford led an amendment to ensure the USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program continues to support urban farming, while implementing a 50% cost-share requirement to promote fiscal responsibility.

We also delivered on several other Fourth District priorities, including:

• Maintained funding for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.
• Increased funding for Small Business Development Centers, including those at the University of Missouri, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and State Fair Community College in Sedalia.
• Language encouraging NOAA to use technology to fill gaps in weather data sets.
• Additional funding for programs to increase biosecurity measures in agriculture to fight diseases like Avian Influenza and pests like the New World Screwworm.
• $56,000,000 to support the 28 Urban Search & Rescue Task Forces, like Missouri Task Force One out of Columbia.
• Continued funding for the B-21 Raider program to support Whiteman Air Force Base.
• Increased funding for small-caliber ammunition to support the Lake City Ammunition Plant.
• Language encouraging the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve detection of esophageal cancer, treatment for sleep disorders, and fair treatment of dialysis services.

Putting the American Dream Back in Reach

Introducing the American Dream Act

Homeownership has long been a cornerstone of the American Dream — a place to raise a family, build equity, and put down roots. Yet for too many hardworking Missourians, that dream is slipping further away. 

Rising costs, confusing regulations, and fragmented programs are making homeownership harder than it should be. That’s why I introduced the Saving the American Dream Act, a bipartisan effort with my fellow Co-Chairs of the Congressional Real Estate Caucus: Reps. Lou Correa, Tracey Mann, and Brittany Pettersen. This legislation is about delivering real solutions by making government work smarter, not bigger. 

What the Bill Does:

• The Act would create an interagency task force between HUD, Treasury, and other key agencies to: Break down silos so housing programs and data align with common goals. 
• Cut red tape, reduce regulatory barriers, and lower costs for construction and development. 
• Address insurance availability and affordability, especially in areas facing higher risk premiums. 
• Make down payments, mortgages, and transaction costs more manageable for families. 
• Improve transparency and accountability by measuring what actually works. 

Why It Matters: 

• This bill is about evidence-based policy. Instead of layering on more programs, it focuses on coordination, efficiency, and real results. 
• It’s also bipartisan, proving that when Republicans and Democrats work together, we can tackle issues that affect every American family.
• The outcome? More affordable mortgages, fewer hidden costs, and a housing market that opens doors for first-time buyers, growing families, and retirees who want to stay in their communities. 

The Saving the American Dream Act has already earned strong support from housing industry leaders and community advocates. However, for it to become law, Congress must take action. And I’ll keep fighting until it does. 

Together, we can make sure the American Dream isn’t out of reach but alive and well for generations to come!

Read more from the National Association of Realtors here.

Read our press release here.

Remembering the Life & Legacy of Charlie Kirk

Healing America: A call for unity amid tragedy

Read the full op-ed here or below:

“With a single bullet, a sniper silenced the voice of the most vocal, yet compassionate, young conservative in America: Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA.

“This horrific event is not isolated. It follows a chilling pattern of political violence: two assassination attempts on Trump in 2024, the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) home, the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., and the assassination of Minnesota state Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband earlier this year. Bipartisan leaders have condemned the killings. Flags fly at half-staff.

“Yet, amid the manhunt and memorials, where candles flicker beside U.S. flags at Utah Valley University, we must confront a deeper truth: America stands at a crossroads. We are more divided than at any other time in our nation’s history since the Civil War.

“Our divisions manifest not just in ballots or debates, but in bullets and violence. Kirk’s death symbolizes how fragile our democratic discourse has become. In an era of echo chambers and algorithmic outrage, where social media amplifies enmity and erodes empathy, we risk turning every disagreement into a declaration of war. The rise in threats against public figures from lawmakers to activists forces us to ask: How did we arrive here? And more urgently, how do we find our way back?

“Our nation needs healing. 

“Some 40 years ago, President Ronald Reagan offered a timeless prescription. In a 1984 address, he proclaimed, “The time has come to reassert our trust in God. To realize that we need Him more than He needs us. The time has come to turn to God for the healing of America.” Reagan, who himself survived an assassination attempt in 1981, understood that true restoration begins not with policy alone, but with a spiritual renewal. He urged Americans to reject cynicism and embrace faith, family, and freedom as the bedrock of our republic. 

“Today, as we mourn the loss of a man who echoed Reagan’s optimism in rallying the next generation, we must heed that call anew.

“This struggle transcends politics; it is also a spiritual battle. As the Apostle Paul warns in Ephesians 6:12, ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’

“The forces dividing us — fear, resentment, ideological extremism — are not merely human failings but manifestations of deeper principalities that thrive on chaos. 

“Kirk’s assassin, hiding in shadows with a rifle, embodies this darkness, but so do the online vitriol and offline hatred that precede such violent acts. 

“Words, too, are weapons in this war. We can either inflame or inspire people with our words, but we cannot do both. I choose to inspire, much like Reagan did. We must choose to inspire our fellow citizens and give them hope for the future, not just to make America great again but to make Americans great again.

“Kirk lived this ethos, using his platform to empower youth, defend free speech, and champion Judeo-Christian values. 

“Let tributes to him remind us that inspiration begets action and hope begets healing.

“We must foster spaces — on campuses, in communities, across dinner tables — where ideas clash with civil debate, instead of fists or firearms. We must return to education, not indoctrination and dialogue, not demonization. And at the heart of it all, a return to the God Reagan invoked.

“Let Kirk’s legacy ignite a flame of renewal in all of us. Turn to God. Reject the darkness. Heal our land, for in healing America, we honor him and all victims of political violence.”

PASSED: FY 2026 NDAA 

Last week, I was proud to vote YES on the FY26 NDAA, strengthening our military defense. Check out MO-04’s WINS:

We were proud to stand with our troops.

This vital legislation provides a much-needed pay raise for our enlisted servicemembers, bolsters President Trump’s peace through strength agenda, and prepares our military for rising threats from adversaries like Russia and Communist China.

We’re also making critical investments in the Fourth District to develop a new national security corridor stretching from St. Louis to Wichita—with the Kansas City area becoming a cornerstone of our defense industrial base. By passing this NDAA, we are sending a message to the world that the United States military will remain the most lethal fighting force on earth.

Background:

The FY 2026 NDAA:

• Codifies President Trump’s efforts to end left-wing ideology, wokeism, and DEI in the military and restores focus on lethality, meritocracy, and accountability.

• Fully funds and provides additional authorities to DoD to support DHS border security efforts.

• Fundamentally reforms the DoD acquisition process, codifying President Trump’s EO and speeding the delivery of innovative new technologies to the warfighter.

• Carries out President Trump’s efforts to improve the quality of life for our servicemembers with a 3.8% pay raise and improved benefits for military families.

• Authorizes full funding for President Trump’s top priorities, including the Golden Dome, F-47 fighter aircraft, submarines, warships, and autonomous systems.

• Authorizes funds and creates new authorities to meet President Trump’s goal of revitalizing the defense industrial base, growing defense manufacturing jobs in America, and onshoring our defense supply chains.

• Includes new authorities to support President Trump’s effort to force our allies to pay more for their own defense.

• Changes laws governing the hiring and firing of DoD civilians to carry out President Trump’s civil service reforms.

• Includes new authorities and funding to support President Trump’s efforts to prepare our military for a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

• Extends authorities President Trump uses to eliminate terrorists that threaten Americans.

• Codifies President Trump ’s EO to promote energy independence and utilize new nuclear power technologies.

Fourth District Priorities Included in the FY 2026 NDAA:

• Supports the growth of the Kansas City National Security Campus for the Non-Nuclear Component Expansion Transformation program.

• Promotes increased utilization of the University of Missouri system for national security with:

• $4 million to rebuild the submarine battery supply chain, fostering the development of a sustainable and secure NiZn battery supply chain.

• $4 million to build warfighter energy materials, establishing a sustainable, domestic manufacturing capacity for non-rechargeable (primary) batteries and energetic.

• Authorizes increased funding for 21 new Joint Assault Bridges (JABs), which are used to train servicemembers at Fort Leonard Wood. The JAB is essential to meet the Army’s focus on flexible and maneuverable combat formations of the future, providing Army divisions the ability to traverse gaps and deliver maximum armor and firepower to the battlefield.

• Recognizes Whiteman Air Force Base’s 509th and 131st Bomb Wings for the successful Operation Midnight Hammer strikes to decapitate Iran’s nuclear capacity, similar to Rep. Alford’s resolution. The language also calls for sustaining the total force integration model, which made the operation possible, for the incoming fleet of B-21s.

Supporting the STRONG Act

Small businesses are the backbone of America.
 
The STRONG Act would double SBA loan limits 💰, giving entrepreneurs the capital they need to grow 📈, create jobs 👷‍♂️👷‍♀️, and protect taxpayer dollars 💵. 
 
Main Street deserves nothing less!

Working Families Tax Cuts

🇺🇸 House Republicans are fighting to bring AMERICAN manufacturing back home! 💪

✅ Nearly 6 million jobs saved

✅ Over $1 trillion added to our economy 

This is what the Working Families Tax Cuts are delivering for our communities. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

AND

Working Families Tax Cuts = more money for Missouri families.

Make D.C. SAFE Again

Honored to host Judge Jeanine Pirro at this week’s RSC lunch.

News flash: the days of failed soft-on-crime policies are OVER President Trump’s crackdown cleaned up our capital, but the job isn’t done.

House Republicans & Judge Pirro are fighting to restore law & order.

Check out part of our conversation here.

Be sure to subscribe to Mark Alford's Capitol Recap to hear MORE next week.

I share the same deep concerns about ensuring that NOAA remains able to provide the best possible service for our constituents!

It is important for rural communities to have this service, like the one in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, open and operating with humans and not just AI.

Watch: 

LT. Gen. McFarlane and Col. Forrester in D.C.

Honored to have LT. Gen. McFarlane and Col. Forrester were in D.C. this week as we discussed the Army’s critical role in the Indo-Pacific. 

Our soldiers must be well-trained, adaptable, and ready to face the evolving challenges of modern warfare, alongside our allies and partners who share in this mission! 

Missouri Cattlemen's Association

Great meeting with the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association in D.C. this week. 

We discussed modernizing ARS tech, I-70 expansion, the 28-hour rule & bad bills in Congress.

I’ll always fight for Missouri ranchers to compete & win on the global stage. 

Casework SUCCESS Stories

Another successful case from our amazing MO-04 casework team! Need help with a federal agency?

Call our office or visit http://Alford.House.Gov today!

Watch:

COMING TO D.C.?

Folks, the White House is your house!

President Trump's White House has officially opened. We had the pleasure of getting a tour from the President a few months ago. If you are planning to visit D.C., reach out to our office to get a White House or U.S. Capitol Tour!

Visit our website to request: https://alford.house.gov/forms/tourrequest/