{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1656", "Alford Secures $1 Million for El Dorado Springs Public Safety Building in House-Passed Funding Bill", "2026-06-10", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Mark Alford", "A000379", "alford.house.gov", "alford", "https://alford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 8646, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027. Through his role on the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) secured $1,000,000 in the House-passed legislation for the construction of a new public safety building in El Dorado Springs.\n\nThis targeted investment will help provide a new facility for both the police and fire departments, modernizing operations, improving response times, and enhancing the services first responders can provide to the El Dorado Springs community.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re securing federal funding reasonable projects in Fourth District communities like El Dorado Springs to improve public safety and keep our neighborhoods secure,\u201d said Congressman Alford. \u201cThis million-dollar investment will go toward a new facility to house the police and fire departments, which will significantly improve the city\u2019s emergency response capabilities. With safer streets, families in our communities can grow and prosper. Together, we\u2019re turning the \u2018Show Me State\u201d into the \u2018Grow Me State.\u2019\u201d\n\nHere\u2019s what El Dorado Springs elected leaders are saying about this critical federal investment:\n\n\u201cThe City of El Dorado Springs is very appreciative of your efforts in helping secure this much-needed assistance. Thanks to your support, our police and fire departments will be able to relocate from an outdated 1940s-era electric power plant that has become cramped and inefficient for modern public safety operations,\u201d said El Dorado Springs Mayor Allen Hicks. \u201cThis funding will help make possible a modern facility designed to improve operational efficiency, better serve our community, and provide room for future growth. The positive impact of this investment will be felt for many years to come. On behalf of the City of El Dorado Springs, thank you for your commitment to our community and for helping make this important project a reality.\u201d\n\n\"This $1 million Federal Agriculture Appropriations investment is a significant step forward for El Dorado Springs and the future safety of its residents,\u201d said Missouri State Rep. Dane Diehl. \u201cI'm grateful for the support we received from Congressman Alford and other federal leaders who recognize the importance of strengthening public safety infrastructure in our rural communities.\"\n\n\u201cThe Cedar County Commission is pleased that Congressman Alford\u2018s efforts helped pass a $1 million rural community grant for our county,\u201d said Cedar County Associate Northern Commissioner Ronald Alumbaugh. \u201cThe Cedar County Commission is in support of the continued efforts of the El Dorado Springs Police and Fire Departments in constructing and relocating to a much-needed appropriate modern facility. The existing facilities are outdated and extremely crowded. Included in the proposed construction plan is an area for developing a regional training facility. Fire Chief Bob Floyd, Chief of Police Bret Dawn, City Manager Bruce Rogers, and the City Council worked closely together in developing and submitting this proposal. The anticipated construction of the expanded training facility will better prepare fire, police, and first responders to provide services and deal with a variety of emergency situations. In addition, this modernization will better accommodate existing equipment, personnel and the development of area wide communication and training.\u201d\n\nCommunity Project Funding is a way for Members of Congress to direct federal money to specific local projects in their districts as part of the annual appropriations, or government funding, bills. This gives Members a tool to address real community needs, with new rules implemented to reduce waste and increase transparency compared to the previous earmark process.\n\nCongressman Alford is the only Missourian on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which controls the purse strings for the entire federal government. Through this role, Alford secured almost $23,000,000 in targeted investments in Fiscal Year 2026 for the Fourth District to help turn the \u201cShow Me State\u201d into the \u201cGrow Me State.\u201d\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=1656"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9426889009773731, "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"}