WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after the President today announced his decision to end the Obama-era executive amnesty known as DACA. The President called on Congress to replace DACA with legislation before it fully expires on March 5, 2018.

“DACA was passed without the consent of Congress or the will of the American people. We are a nation of laws, and an unconstitutional executive order granting amnesty to illegal immigrants has no place in our legal system,” Rep. Graves said.

“President Obama himself acknowledged that he did not have the power to grant amnesty to entire groups of illegal immigrants before announcing DACA in 2012,” Rep. Graves continued. “I’m glad to see President Trump make the decision to end DACA today, to stop amnesty and restore the rule of law to our nation’s immigration system. Congress writes laws, not the President, and I look forward to helping shape a bill that addresses the problems caused by executive amnesty and illegal immigration in the coming months.”

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SPRINGFIELD, MO – U.S. Representative Sam Graves this afternoon joined President Donald Trump and other members of Missouri’s Congressional delegation in Springfield, Missouri. The President addressed a crowd at the Loren Cook Company in Springfield to discuss Republican plans to simplify the tax code and lower rates for Americans.

“It’s always good to have President Trump in our neck of the woods, especially to talk about something as important as tax reform,” Rep. Graves said. “Our tax code is up to 2.4 million words. That’s astounding – three times as long as the King James bible. Tax simplification will help businesses create jobs and grow this economy, rather than spending hours complying with the tax code or having their decisions distorted by it.

“But most importantly, it will give all Missourians a raise, letting people and families keep more of their money rather than sending it to Washington,” Rep, Graves concluded. “We desperately need tax reform, and now is the time to get it done.”

The President began promoting his proposals for tax reform today in Springfield, the birthplace of Route 66 – the “Main Street of America.” He’ll hold events around the country this fall to promote a tax code overhaul as Congress begins the process of passing comprehensive tax reform when it returns to Washington next week.

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America’s tax code is now more than 2.4 million words long. To put that into perspective, the King James Bible is roughly 783,137 words – or less than one third as long as our tax code.

When the House returns to Washington in September, we will begin the process of passing comprehensive tax reform.

In just a few words, what that means for Missourians is lower taxes and a simpler filing process.

A streamlined process and lower rates for individuals and businesses means more time spent growing the economy and more money in the pockets of everyday Americans.

Need proof? A few recent studies have shown that Americans spend $99 billion each year complying with income tax requirements. That’s really outrageous. And it’s got to change.

At the end of the day, I'm a firm believer that the American people should decide how to spend their money – not the federal government. And federal regulations also shouldn’t be allowed to distract our focus away from growth and prosperity

Right now, with both Congress and the White House controlled by Republicans, we have a chance to pass the first comprehensive tax reform in 31 years.

What that means is pro-growth tax reform that will grow jobs and paychecks, make the tax code flatter and fairer for all Americans, and help middle-class families – not Washington special interests.

But again, the first priority here is simplification. And as a proponent of the Fair Tax system for years now, I’ve always felt that this is the most important part of any tax reform discussions. Simplification will continue to be my priority during discussions on tax reform, but with the opportunity to do something about as rare as a solar eclipse, I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to pass commonsense, comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform. 

Sincerely,
 
Sam Graves

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after helping pass H.R. 3219, The Make America Secure Appropriations Act, that includes robust funding for defense, a 2.4% pay raise for our troops, construction of a border wall, and keeps the President’s promise to take care of our nation’s veterans.

“After years of harmful cuts to key national security programs under the last Administration, this bill takes steps toward rebuilding our military and ensuring our nation is ready to meet any new or existing national security threats both at home and abroad. This measure reflects the spending priorities of President Trump and the Republican Congress – namely that the defense of our nation is the Federal Government’s primary responsibility as laid out in the Constitution.”

Graves continued, “I stand with the President in providing the necessary funding to build the wall and increasing our border security efforts to stop the harmful effects of illegal immigration on our country. This bill is a down payment on that effort.” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves today joined his Republican colleagues in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee in calling on President Trump to swiftly nominate an Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA-CW) to lead the Army Corps of Engineers. The ASA-CW helps support the Army Corps’ essential mission of managing 600 dams, 25,000 miles of commercial navigation channels, and nearly 1,000 coastal harbors across the United States.

“The Army Corps cannot fully do its job without an Assistant Secretary for Civil Works in place,” Rep. Graves said. “But right now, with the opportunity to streamline much of the Corps’ regulatory burdens, save billions of taxpayer dollars, and get some really important projects done, it’s even more critical for the President to nominate an ASA-CW as quickly as possible. That would have huge benefits in my north Missouri district, which borders both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, and throughout the country, as so much of America’s economy relies on effective Corps management.”

House T&I Republican Letter to President Trump on ASA-CW.PDF

It's easy to praise the work our military men and women do. We can talk about how grateful we are for those who defend our freedoms, or how we owe it to them to provide every resource possible in return for their sacrifices.

But without action, all that talk is just talk. And when people in Congress or the White House don't appreciate how important the U.S. military is for global security, it has significant - and dangerous - consequences across the world.

As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am fortunate to have a role in shaping our national defense policy. And last week I helped pass H.R. 2810, which gives our troops their largest pay raise in eight years and boosts defense spending by 10 percent over last year’s levels. It passed the House by a bipartisan margin of 344-81.

In addition to the troop pay raise, H.R. 2810 complies with the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s requests for thousands of additional personnel, and increases missile defense funding by $2.5 billion. It also includes my request to secure modernization of the Air National Guard’s C-130H fleet.

The C-130H is such an important aircraft to our military, and serves as a force multiplier to active duty, reserve and guard units across the world. It is often on the front lines of combat, protecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and it also serves vital humanitarian purposes throughout the globe.

Providing for our national defense is the primary responsibility of the federal government - and it’s always been my top priority in Congress. I’m happy to have helped pass a bill that strengthens our military while ensuring our troops get the treatment and pay they deserve, and I look forward to seeing these policies signed into law by the President in the coming months.

Sincerely,
 
Sam Graves

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after today helping pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. H.R. 2810, which gives our troops their largest pay raise in eight years, also boosts defense spending by 10 percent over last year’s level. It passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 344-81.

“Our military men and women – and their families – make such enormous sacrifices to defend this country, but they can’t do it on their own,” said Rep. Graves, a member of the House Committee on Armed Services. “That’s why securing our national defense is the primary responsibility of the federal government – and it’s always been my top priority in Congress. I’m happy to have helped pass a bill today that strengthens our military while ensuring our troops get the treatment and pay they deserve.”

In addition to the troop pay raise, H.R. 2810 aims to ensure our military men and women have the tools they need to complete missions safely and efficiently. It bill complies with the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s requests for thousands of additional personnel, and increases missile defense funding by $2.5 billion. Finally, this year’s National Defense bill included Rep. Graves’ request to secure modernization of the Air National Guard’s C-130H fleet, specifically the T56 3.5 engine modifications and the NP2000 eight-bladed propeller systems.

“The C-130H is such an important aircraft to our military, and serves as a force multiplier to active duty, reserve and guard units across the world,” Rep. Graves concluded. “It is often on the front lines of combat, protecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans, and it also serves vital global humanitarian purposes."

Thomas Jefferson is arguably the most important person in American history.

He executed one of our biggest ever land deals, he forged alliances with foreign powers that were critical to the survival of our union, and his philosophies on liberty and self-governance became central tenants of the U.S. Constitution.

But of all his accomplishments, perhaps most important was when he put down these 55 words in the Declaration of Independence.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

On this, the anniversary of our Independence, Jefferson’s words remain as true today as they were 241 years ago. The guiding principle of this experiment in representative Democracy is that our government derives its powers from those it governs.

We still adhere to the beliefs that all men are created equal. Regardless of our occupation, wealth, background or origin, we all have the same freedom of opportunity, and the decisions of those in government can never change that.

But from Thomas Jefferson to Ronald Reagan, the greatest political minds in our country have held onto the belief that nothing is guaranteed, that we are promised nothing if the people do not stand up and force its government to uphold that principle.

In his address to the 1964 Republican National Convention, Ronald Reagan famously reminded us that “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” 

On this July 4th, we must remember the role we all have to play in preserving our freedoms. Otherwise, as President Reagan said, “One day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Sincerely,

Sam Graves

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after this afternoon helping pass two bills that strengthen our nation’s illegal immigration laws. H.R. 3004, or Kate’s Law, will institute harsher penalties on deported felons who reenter into the United States. H.R. 3003, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, blocks federal funds to “Sanctuary Cities” that shield illegal immigrants from deportation.

“There is no reason why any city in this country should refuse to enforce laws against illegal immigrants,” Rep. Graves said. “That punishes everyone who follows our laws, it sends the wrong message to those looking to come to the U.S. illegally, and it can have devastating consequences for our people, as we saw in the tragic death of Kate Steinle on July 1, 2015.

“I’ve always believed that there is nothing wrong with legal immigration, but it has to be legal. The problem is that some cities across the country fail to recognize the dangers of illegal immigration, which is just that - illegal. The bills passed by the House today will work to prevent these tragedies in the future, making sure American cities enforce illegal immigration laws, and felons who are deported out of the country stay that way.”

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves delivered the following remarks to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee during markup of T&I’s FAA reauthorization bill. The 21st Century AIRR Act passed the Committee by a vote of 32-25.

For the last three years, those of us in this Committee and representatives from across the aviation industry have debated the necessity of comprehensive air traffic control reform.

Last year, a bill worked through T&I to comprehensively reform America’s ATC system. I felt, however, that it ultimately created more problems than it solved.

Since then, I’ve had numerous discussions with Chairman Shuster regarding FAA Reauthorization, and the best approaches for keeping our skies safe and free. I commend the Chairman for his genuine commitment to addressing my concerns and working through these issues. Because of that commitment, our ability to find compromise, and our shared desire to shape a bill that’s in the best interest of aviation and our country as a whole, I am here today supporting this legislation.

I’ve been a pilot for virtually my entire life, and I’ve been interacting with people in this community for about two decades now. From daily conversations with other pilots to personal experiences I’ve had, I extensively understand the issues facing this industry. These are the areas where I focused my attention during this debate, and I feel very confident that we’ve addressed them here.

Among those issues were guaranteeing no user fees were levied on any segment of general aviation; maintaining parity on the governing board; protecting access to American airspace, air traffic services and airports for all segments of the aviation industry; and ensuring the long term sustainability of the Airport Improvement Program, or AIP, which is the main source of funds for our small airports.

With those issues off the table, the final question that remains is a simple one. Do we trust the government or a private entity to more efficiently manage our nation’s air traffic control network?

As a conservative, the answer for me is an easy one. The federal government should not be managing our ATC system.

The public sector has never been defined by its efficiency. And the private sector has always been better positioned to oversee a project that’s completed on time and under budget.

The FAA is no different. No federal agency, including the FAA, has been properly equipped to successfully deliver on a long-term capital project like NextGen because there are simply too many barriers in the federal procurement process, not the least of which is funding uncertainty created by the political process. And I know we can do better.

When we talk about FAA reauthorization, I think about protecting the skies so all of aviation can continue flying safely, securely and freely. This is the beginning of a long process, and we’re in the very beginning stages. Regardless, I support the bill before us today. And I look forward to continuing to work with the Chairman and my colleagues to ensure we have a final product that is positive for all of aviation as this bill makes its way through Congress.

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