Summary
Mark “Awful” Alford wants to cut the ATF’s budget not to defend your rights—but to score points with the NRA, which gave him a token donation. He has no solutions, just talking points.
By Ricky Dana
Let’s get one thing clear—Mark “Awful” Alford isn’t fighting for your Second Amendment rights. He’s fighting for headlines and political favors from Washington lobbyists. Most recently, he jumped in front of cameras to defend a scheme to slash funding for the ATF—a move that has absolutely nothing to do with protecting your rights as a gun owner.
Mark Awful’s real aim? Pandering to the NRA.
For clarity, according to public records the NRA’s Political Victory Fund handed Mark Awful a $2,000 check. The NRA’s $2,000 contribution was recorded as part of his current campaign fund for the 2024 cycle (carried forward into 2025). That’s not much in Washington, but it was enough to get him marching in lockstep with their agenda—starting with his loud support for gutting the ATF. Since that check cleared, he’s been pushing policies that benefit gun lobbyists—not rural Missourians.
The ATF is the federal agency responsible for tracing illegal firearms, busting gun trafficking networks, and supporting local law enforcement across the country. Cutting its funding doesn’t help your family. It doesn’t keep Missouri communities safe. And it sure doesn’t stop violent crime.
But it does earn Mark Awful a pat on the back from NRA donors.
Worse, Mark Awful had no solutions—no plan to replace the ATF’s role in public safety, no alternative proposal to support law enforcement, and not even a hint of how his move would make our communities stronger.
This is what we get when politicians serve special interests instead of constituents. Missouri’s 4th District deserves a representative who puts people before PACs. Someone who doesn’t confuse loyalty to the NRA with leadership for rural America.
I support the Second Amendment and am a responsible gun owner myself. But what Mark Awful is doing has nothing to do with protecting our rights—it’s about protecting his political donors. And that’s a betrayal of every law-abiding gun owner who believes in safety, responsibility, and freedom.
When I’m elected as your congressman in 2026, I’ll stand up for common-sense safety, support our first responders, and make sure Washington remembers who it works for—you, not the lobbyists.
Sources:
YouTube: Alford Defends ATF Cuts
OpenSecrets: Mark Alford – Campaign Finance Summary
OpenSecrets: Industry Breakdown
VoteSmart: NRA Ratings & Contributions
Wikipedia: NRA Political Victory Fund
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