{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1655", "Alford Applauds Labor-HHS-Education Funding Bill\u2019s Focus on Mental & Rural Health Care", "2026-06-10", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Mark Alford", "A000379", "alford.house.gov", "alford", "https://alford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Bill includes almost $3 million secured by Alford for Fourth District projects\n\nToday, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee passed the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill for fiscal year 2027.\n\n\u201cI was proud to support the Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, which delivers smart, targeted investments in biomedical research, rural health, and workforce training while slashing waste to save taxpayer money,\u201d said Congressman Alford. \u201cThis legislation advances President Trump\u2019s America First agenda by bolstering our national security through biodefense and domestic manufacturing, protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud and abuse, and prioritizing real solutions like mental health support and skilled trades apprenticeships. It also helps Missouri families and communities thrive without growing Washington\u2019s bloated bureaucracy but delivering almost $3 million we secured in responsible investments to improve rural health care in the Fourth District.\u201d\n\nThrough his role on the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Alford secured $2,800,000 in federal investments for critical healthcare projects in the Fourth District to help turn the \u201cShow Me State\u201d into the \u201cGrow Me State,\u201d including:\n\n$1,000,000 for Jordan Valley Community Health in Lebanon, MO to contribute to the construction of a new 25,000-square-foot facility that will expand access to coordinated medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and PACE services for seniors and medically underserved residents.\n\n$1,000,000 for Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, MO to modernize the hospital\u2019s emergency medical service system by replacing outdated and high-use equipment to improve patient care and protecting the safety of first responders.\n\n$500,000 for Compass Health in Nevada, MO to support the construction of a new, fully integrated health care clinic providing comprehensive primary medical, behavioral health services and a 24/7 Behavioral Health Crisis Center to meet the health care needs of residents of Vernon County.\n\n$100,000 for Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler, MO to assist in the purchase of a new HVAC system for the hospital, which is vital medical infrastructure that supports patient safety, infection control, and continuous operations.\n\n$100,000 for Mercy Hospital in Lebanon, MO to upgrade mammography imaging equipment at its rural cancer center, improving patient outcomes, early detection, and access to care.\n\n$100,000 for Preferred Family Healthcare in Columbia, MO to support the renovation and consolidation of the agency\u2019s three Columbia-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) clinic sites into a single community clinic that will improve access to timely, coordinated, integrated, and multidisciplinary care.\n\nOther Alford priorities secured in the Labor-HHS-Education funding bill include:\n\n$575 million for rural health initiatives, including many provisions in support of rural hospitals to help combat the risk of closure.\n\nLanguage complementing Rep. Alford\u2019s Sustaining Rural Healthcare Act to support rural healthcare facilities that are struggling financially but do not meet all the criteria for official Critical Access Hospital designation.\n\nA provision forcing federal agencies to recognize the ongoing crisis of rural hospital closures.\n\nIncreased funding for portable bio-containment units (PBCUs), like those manufactured by MRIGlobal in Kansas City, as part of the ongoing response to evolving infectious disease threats such as Hantavirus and Ebola.\n\nRobust funding and numerous provisions to address the mental health crisis in Missouri and across America.\n\n$10 million increase for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline above FY26 levels.\n\nIncreased funding for the Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program.\n\nLanguage acknowledging suicide a growing public health problem that requires strategic prevention approaches.\n\nRead more about the legislation here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-11T06:38:38Z", "2026-06-11T06:41:07Z"]], "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": ["https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1655"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.90815220028162, "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"}