Sam Graves
Sam Graves | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 6th district |
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Assumed office January 3, 2001 |
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Preceded by | Pat Danner |
Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business | |
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015 |
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Preceded by | Nydia Velázquez |
Succeeded by | Steve Chabot |
Personal details | |
Born | Samuel Bruce Graves, Jr. November 7, 1963 Tarkio, Missouri, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Alma mater | University of Missouri, Columbia |
Religion | Southern Baptist |
Samuel Bruce "Sam" Graves, Jr. (born November 7, 1963) is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's 6th congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes the entire northern third of the state, from the Kansas border to the Illinois border. However, the bulk of its population lives in the northern suburbs of Kansas City.
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Early life, education and career[edit]
Graves was born in Tarkio, Missouri, a small city not far from the Iowa and Nebraska borders, and was the son of Janice A. (née Hord) and Samuel Bruce Graves. He is a lifelong resident of Tarkio.[citation needed] He graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.[citation needed]
Missouri Legislature[edit]
Graves was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1992. After only one term, he was elected to the Missouri Senate in 1994.
U.S. House of Representatives[edit]
Committee assignments[edit]
Caucus Memberships[edit]
- Congressional Cement Caucus
Political positions[edit]
Following the economic crisis of Wall Street in September 2008, Graves voted against the proposed bailout of United States financial system, claiming that it neither "punished the wrongdoers nor adequately protected the innocent taxpayers, investors and retirees” caught in the Wall Street banking crisis."[1] In January 2014, Graves introduced the TRICARE Family Improvement Act. The bill would allow dependents of military members to stay on their parents' TRICARE health plan after turning age 26. The bill would change current law, which requires those dependents to change to a separate health plan after turning 26.[2]
Todd Graves controversy[edit]
Graves is the brother of Todd Graves, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.[3] In October 2008, U.S. Senator Kit Bond apologized to Todd Graves after a U.S. Justice Department report cited Bond forcing Graves out over a disagreement with Representative Graves.[3] Following the report, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other officials involved in the firings of nine U.S. attorneys broke the law (dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy).[4]
Ethics investigation[edit]
In 2009, the House Ethics Committee began inquiring whether or not Graves used his position on the Small Business Committee to invite Brooks Hurst, a longtime friend and a business partner of his wife, to testify at a committee hearing on the federal regulation of biodiesel and ethanol production. Graves had failed to mention the financial link between Hurst and Lesley Graves at the hearing, which dealt with federal subsidies for renewable fuels. A review by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics found "substantial reason to believe that an appearance of conflict of interest was created."[5] Graves said in a statement, "I look forward to a quick review of the facts and answering any questions that the committee may have. I believe that a speedy review will show that all the rules of the House concerning testimony in front of the Small Business Committee were followed."[6] The Office of Congressional Ethics referred the case to the House Ethics committee, which ended its own investigation in October, and released a report finding no ethical violations, as it asserted there was no standard in place for appearances like Hurst's.[7][8]
Political campaigns[edit]
![](http://web.archive.org./web/20161213072219im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/George_Bush_visit_Kansas_City_Assembly.jpg/220px-George_Bush_visit_Kansas_City_Assembly.jpg)
In 2000, Democratic U.S. Representative Pat Danner suddenly retired due to breast cancer. Graves filed within the short period of time left for filing. Graves faced Representative Danner's son, Steve Danner, a former State Senator, in the general election. Graves referred to Danner as a "tax and spend liberal" and won the race with 51% of the vote [9] largely by running up huge margins in the rural areas of the district. He was arguably helped by George W. Bush carrying the district in the 2000 presidential election, a theory known as the coattail effect.
2000[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 138,925 | 50.85 | |
Democratic | Steve Danner | 127,792 | 46.78 | |
Libertarian | Jimmy Dykes | 3,696 | 1.35 | |
Natural Law | Marie Richey | 2,788 | 1.02 |
2002[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 131,151 | 63.03 | |
Democratic | Cathy Rinehart | 73,202 | 35.18 | |
Libertarian | Erik Buck | 3,735 | 1.79 |
2004[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 196,516 | 63.83 | |
Democratic | Charles S. Broomfield | 106,987 | 34.75 | |
Libertarian | Erik Buck | 4,352 | 1.41 |
2006[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 150,882 | 61.64 | |
Democratic | Sara Jo Shettles | 87,477 | 35.73 | |
Libertarian | Erik Buck | 4,757 | 1.94 | |
Progressive Party | Shirley A. Yurkonis | 1,679 | 0.69 |
2008[edit]
Graves faced a tougher reelection race in 2008 against Democratic nominee and former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes. He gained national attention early in the race for running an ad accusing Barnes of promoting "San Francisco values." It was initially considered one of the hottest races in the country; however, Graves won reelection fairly handily, taking 59 percent of the vote to Barnes's 37 percent.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 196,526 | 59.43 | |
Democratic | Kay Barnes | 121,894 | 36.86 | |
Libertarian | Dave Browning | 12,279 | 3.71 |
2010[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 154,103 | 69.44 | |
Democratic | Clint Hylton | 67,762 | 30.54 | |
Write-in | Kyle Yarber | 47 | 0.02 |
2012[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Sam Graves | 216,906 | 65.00 | |
Democratic | Kyle Yarber | 108,503 | 32.52 | |
Libertarian | Russ Lee Monchil | 8,279 | 2.48 |
2014[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Sam Graves | 124,616 | 66.65 | |
Democratic | Bill Hedge | 55,157 | 29.50 | |
Libertarian | Russ Lee Monchil | 7,197 | 3.85 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Graves, Boyda vote against $700B bailout in the U.S. House". The News-Press. September 30, 2008. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ "Graves proposes changes to military family health coverage". Ripon Advance. 1/31/14. Retrieved 2/7/14.
- ^ a b "Kit Bond apologizes for staff's role in firing of federal prosecutor". The News Leader. September 30, 2008. Retrieved 2007-05-17.[dead link]
- ^ "Prosecutor will investigate firings of nine U.S. Attorneys". The Miami Herald. September 29, 2008. Retrieved 2007-05-17.[dead link]
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Margasak, Larry (September 16, 2009). "Ethics panel defers probe on Jesse Jackson Jr.". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-09-16.[dead link]
- ^ Larry Margasak [2] Congressional ethics report leaked, reveals names LARRY MARGASAK, October 30, 2009 Associated Press
- ^ "Campaign Legal Center blog: Fault Ethics Committee, Not OCE". Clcblog.org. 2009-11-20. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- ^ "Missouri Secretary of State". Sos.mo.gov. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sam Graves. |
- Congressman Sam Graves official U.S. House site
- Sam Graves for Congress
- Sam Graves at DMOZ
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress
United States House of Representatives | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Pat Danner |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 6th congressional district 2001–present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by Nydia Velázquez |
Chairman of the House Small Business Committee 2011–2015 |
Succeeded by Steve Chabot |
United States order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
Preceded by Susan Davis |
United States Representatives by seniority 99th |
Succeeded by Mike Honda |
- 1963 births
- Baptists from the United States
- Eagle Scouts
- Living people
- Members of the Missouri House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri
- Missouri Republicans
- Missouri State Senators
- People from Atchison County, Missouri
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- University of Missouri alumni