Columbia News

Rep. Mark Alford, a U.S. Congressman representing Missouri’s 4th district since 2023, took to social media on October 6, 2025, to criticize the ongoing government shutdown and its impact on American workers.

In a post from that day, Alford wrote: "The #SchumerShutdown: Thousands of Americans are working without pay, all because Democrats shut down the government to fund healthcare for illegal aliens." (October 6, 2025).

Later that afternoon, he addressed the situation facing correctional officers during the shutdown: "Correctional officers are working one of America’s toughest jobs, all without pay. Shutdowns don’t just freeze paychecks, they put lives at risk. Democrats and Chuck Schumer need to do their job. #SchumerShutdown" (October 6, 2025).

In a subsequent update, Alford described his meeting with community members about rural healthcare funding: "Met with Cindy Thompson, Mike Holder, and Jason McCormick to talk about how we can help—including the $50 billion in funding for rural hospitals that Democrats are trying to GUT as a condition to reopen the government. We’re not sitting around like the Left, we’re out here" (October 6, 2025).

Alford has represented Missouri's 4th District in Congress since succeeding Vicky Hartzler in 2023. He was born in Baytown, Texas in 1963 and currently resides in Lake Winnebago. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.