Fourth District Congressman Mark Alford paid a visit to Marshall on the first day of his week-long town hall tour of the district. The first-term Republican says a goal of the tour was to hear from his district’s over 770,000 residents across 24 counties and get a sense of the issues facing their communities.
Alford highlights his staff’s efforts to serve the district. He said his staff has helped to return more than $2 million in constituent money to the Fourth District.
Alford visited the Marshall Cinema Monday afternoon, followed by a town hall at 7 p.m. on the State Fair Community College campus in Sedalia. Tuesday, Alford will start the day at 8:30 at the Smithton Diner, then proceed to the Missouri Made Shop and Cafe in Cole Camp at 10:30 and then The Yellow Deli in Warsaw at 2:15 p.m. Additional stops are planned Wednesday in Camdenton, Preston, Bolivar, Stockton and Lamar, followed by Nevada, Butler and Harrisonville on Thursday.
Farm Bill Debate Heats Up
This year’s version of the federal farm bill is stalled in the U.S. House after being passed by the House Agriculture Committee three months ago. Western Missouri Congressman Mark Alford, who sits on that committee, said the bill would maintain many programs crucial to farmers.
“It’s a bipartisan bill that’s going to make sure that our farmers and producers have safety nets they need to do business,” he told Missourinet affiliate KMMO in Marshall. “(There are) some reforms to the SNAP program, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, (to) try to reduce some of the waste, abuse, and fraud in that program. And (it would) expand our conservation programs as well.”
“We’ve got to do our job in a bipartisan manner to make sure that this passes in the House,” he said. “I’m fairly confident it will.”
“The question is, will the Senate do anything? They haven’t done anything so far,” Alford said. “(Democratic U.S. Senator) Debbie Stabenow, who’s leaving, a senator from Michigan, the chair of the Ag Committee over on the Senate side, doesn’t have much interest right now in getting a farm bill passed.”
Alford suggested that Senate Democrats would be more agreeable to quickly passing a farm bill if Donald Trump wins back the White House in November. He made those comments during a town hall meeting in west-central Missouri’s Marshall.
Ensuring Security and Serving Constituents
Alford told KMMO News that most of his constituents want to feel secure.
“They want border security, they want economic security, and they want security in their homes and in their neighborhoods,” he said. “And I think they’re deserving of that. I think that’s one thing we’re working on. We are working to make sure that the constituents, no matter, you know, what party you’re affiliated with, that we are serving you.”
Alford said his staff has helped to return more than $2 million in constituent money to the Fourth District.
“Money that the federal government was holding on to – VA benefits, Social Security benefits, employment retention tax credits,” he said. “Just last week, one of our caseworkers helped a business owner get back $700,000 that the federal government was holding on to, and now he’s able to stay in business.”
Alford’s Week-Long Town Hall Tour: Connecting with Missourians
Alford’s town hall tour continues across the Fourth Congressional District this week. He is Missouri’s lone member on an agriculture committee in Congress.
Alford said the Farm Bill passed by his house committee in May maintains many programs crucial to farmers. Alford said he and other Republicans on the committee will push for House passage of the bill next month. As for the bill’s fate in the Senate, Alford said it’ll depend on how Americans vote in November.
The rest of his Town Hall Tour schedule is:
Wednesday, August 21
- Alford to Visit Preston Café
- US 65 and 54
- Preston, MO
- Alford to Visit Mid Watch Coffee Company
- 205 S Main Ave
- Bolivar, MO
- Alford to Visit Smiths Restaurant
- 1340 State Hwy U
- Bolivar, MO
- Alford to Host Afternoon Town Hall at AmVets Post 116
- 11885 E Highway 32
- Stockton, MO
- Alford to Host Evening Town Hall at Lamar Middle School
- Lamar Middle School Cafeteria
- 202 W 7th St
- Lamar, MO
Thursday, August 22
- Alford to Visit Precision Coffee Company
- 224 E. Walnut
- Nevada, MO
- Alford to Visit Family Center Farm & Home
- 903 W. Ft Scott
- Butler, MO
- Alford to Visit Brick House Coffee Bar & Eatery
- 201 E Wall Street
- Harrisonville, MO
Keeping the Conversation Going: Engaging with the Fourth District
The office of Fourth District Missouri Congressman Mark Alford will host a series of town halls next week across the district. The first-term congressman’s tour of the district will begin Monday, Aug. 19th with visits to Lone Jack and Higginsville in the morning, then a town hall at the Marshall Cinema at 1 p.m. and State Fair Community College in Sedalia at 7 p.m. Alford’s tour continues Tuesday with stops in Smithton, Cole Camp, Warsaw, and Camdenton. Stops are also scheduled Wednesday in Preston, Bolivar, Stockton, and Lamar, before wrapping up Thursday with stops in Nevada, Butler and Harrisonville. Residents of the district are encouraged at each stop to ask questions and raise concerns. Alford is urging all constituents to attend, share their opinions and concerns, and engage in a productive dialogue about the future of the Fourth District.
