{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1708", "Reps Alford and Escobar Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Cut Burdensome Tape and Accelerate Military Construction", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Mark Alford", "A000379", "alford.house.gov", "alford", "https://alford.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Mark Alford (R-MO), alongside Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX), introduced the bipartisan Streamlining Military Infrastructure Act, legislation to help the Department of Defense complete minor military construction projects faster, reduce unnecessary delays and make better use of existing partnerships with state and local governments.\n\nMilitary installations across the country rely on timely infrastructure improvements to support servicemembers, strengthen readiness, and maintain mission capabilities. The legislation would examine how the Department of Defense can expand the use of Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSAs) to deliver these projects more efficiently and at a lower cost to taxpayers.\n\n\u201cModernizing our military infrastructure doesn\u2019t always require reinventing the wheel \u2014 it requires using the tools we already have in smarter ways,\u201d said Congressman Mark Alford. \u201cThi legislation takes a practical approach to identify where stronger partnerships between military installations and local communities can help complete projects faster, reduce costs, and improve quality of life for our servicemembers. I\u2019m proud to work across the aisle on this commonsense effort to strengthen readiness and ensure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly.\u201d\n\n\u201cMilitary families and servicemembers deserve the facilities and infrastructure they need without unnecessary delays caused by outdated processes,\u201d said Congresswoman Veronica Escobar. \u201cThis legislation builds on proven partnerships to make military construction more efficient, less costly, and more responsive to the needs of our installations and communities.\u201d\n\nIntergovernmental Support Agreements allow military installations to partner with state and local governments to provide services and support installation needs. The Streamlining Military Infrastructure Act would direct the Department of Defense to assess whether expanding the use of these agreements for certain minor military construction projects could help reduce delays, lower costs, and address infrastructure needs more quickly.\n\nSpecifically, the legislation would:\n\nRequire the Department of Defense to assess the feasibility of using IGSAs for unspecified minor military construction projects;\n\nExamine increasing project thresholds under IGSA authority from $9 million to $18 million for laboratory revitalization projects and from $4 million to $8 million for projects funded through Operation and Maintenance accounts; and\n\nRequire the Department of Defense to identify up to 10 military construction projects that could be eligible to use expanded IGSA authority.\n\nTo view the full bill text, click here.\n\nThe Streamlining Military Infrastructure Act builds on ongoing efforts to improve military readiness, strengthen partnerships with communities surrounding installations, and ensure the Department of Defense can meet infrastructure needs efficiently and effectively.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "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=1708"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.001535914838314, "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"}