Mark Alford (r) held an open public town hall on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg on Thursday night. He spoke for about 30 minutes and then took questions for about an hour and a half.

The question and answer portion:

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Question: “…Recently you voted on HR, um, 4366 and that’s the Military Construction and Veteran’s Affairs and Related Agency Appropriation Act. I think you had mentioned it [“Yeah.”] the only one that’s passed so far. There’s a section in there I wanted to ask you about and why it wasn’t amended or even taken out. And the section reads, and I’m gonna cut, keep it short ’cause of the legalese of the part of it. But it says, um, ‘This shall be used in whole or part that, that previous appropriations upon shall be used, shall not be used in whole or part to take any discriminatory action against a person wholly or partially on the basis that that person speaks or acts in accordance with a, uh, sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is, is or should be recognized as being between one man and one woman.’ As I read that I was hoping you could add, offer more clarity. Um, that from my understanding allows VA employees to discriminate against people who don’t have a man and woman marriage. And I don’t [“Hmm.”] think that that’s right considering our service members, regardless of, uh, color, creed, or sexual preference, should get service regardless. I wanted to see what your take on that was, why that wasn’t removed, and, uh, why so many of your colleagues and yourself included voted on that and didn’t take that out. [“Right.”] Or even added it to an appropriations bill.”

[….]

Mark Alford (r): “…Tell me that bill again. The number.”

Question: “HR 4366. It passed the House [“uh, huh.”] and waiting to go to the Senate.”

Mark Alford (r): “Would you get that to [….] right there and, uh, I will take a look at that and give you an answer, um, answer on that…Next up.”

Mark Alford (r): “…So, it’s not about getting rid of diversity it, it’s about not concentrating on diversity. Instead, concentrate [applause] on what we’ve got in common. Um, I think for a long time, uh, we have as a nation, we have pointed out our differences and that has led to, uh, almost a victimization mentality by some people, not yourself, that, um, that someone is lesser than, or someone is oppressive, or an aggressor, or. We’ve gotten overly sensitized in America and I think if we concentrated on the goodness of America and what we have in common as a nation…”

Mark Alford (r): “…Let me tell you right now, COVID is over. The President said the pandemic is over. [applause] [inaudible] Uh, I have said from the very beginning that government should not be telling people what they inject in their bodies. [“Thank you.”][applause]…”

RSMo § 167.181. Immunization of pupils against certain diseases compulsory — exceptions — records — to be at public expense, when — fluoride treatments administered, when — rulemaking authority, procedure.

[….]

2. It is unlawful for any student to attend school unless he has been immunized as required under the rules and regulations of the department of health and senior services, and can provide satisfactory evidence of such immunization; except that if he produces satisfactory evidence of having begun the process of immunization, he may continue to attend school as long as the immunization process is being accomplished in the prescribed manner. It is unlawful for any parent or guardian to refuse or neglect to have his child immunized as required by this section, unless the child is properly exempted.

[….]

RSMo § 210.003. Immunizations of children required, when, exceptions — duties of administrator, report — notification of parents, when. —

1. No child shall be permitted to enroll in or attend any public, private or parochial day care center, preschool or nursery school caring for ten or more children unless such child has been adequately immunized against vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses specified by the department of health and senior services in accordance with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The parent or guardian of such child shall provide satisfactory evidence of the required immunizations.

[….]

Missouri DESE:

Mark Alford (r): “…This, this whole COVID thing has been disturbing for several years now. And, look, I know COVID’s real. I truly believe that it came out of that lab in Wuhan and was manufactured. [“Yep.”] And I believe that Tony Fauci, unfortunately, had something to do with funding that. [applause] I think he needs to be brought into account on that. I think the National Institutes of Health and World Health Organization were complicit in, in taking this vaccine that was unproven and shoving it in the bodies of Americans. And that was wrong. [applause]…”

Mark Alford (r): “… There is a war on our family in America. I, I think it’s, uh, it’s a battle of good and evil. I think, uh, there’s certain forces in this world and in this country that want to take down the nuclear family. And since the, uh, uh, LBJ [Lyndon Baines Johnson] Administration and the New Society, uh, that, that came about, uh, in making, uh, single mothers, uh, prominent and, and, and get, really incentivizing single motherhood families. I think it’s been a detriment to our society. I think you’re seeing the repercussions of that. [applause]…”

Great Society legislation (starting in 1964-1965, 59 years ago) included civil rights, voting rights, support for K-12 and higher education, Medicare, Medicaid, the Child Nutrition Act, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, public broadcasting, consumer protections, environmental protections, housing, urban and rural development, just to name a few.

Mark Alford (r): “…When Kevin McCarthy (r) finally got into the White House negotiate and, the President, I don’t know if you know that, but he’s not all there. [laughter]…”

Mark Alford (r): “…When I was on Fox Four, thinking I, what am I gonna do, I’m getting old, I’m not gonna be on TV much longer, I’m, I’m, they won’t let me tell the truth. So what am I gonna do? Uh, this seat opened up. Vicky Hartzler (r) was, decided to run for the U.S. Senate. And, uh, I really prayed about it a lot…”

Go. Listen to the whole thing.

Previously:

You spelled “Trump” wrong (August 30, 2023)

Mark Alford (r) – Town Hall – Warrensburg, Missouri – August 31, 2023 (September 1, 2023)

Mark Alford (r) – Town Hall – Warrensburg, Missouri – August 31, 2023 – Remarks (September 1, 2023)

The voice of God (September 1, 2023)