KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri will serve as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with Republicans back in control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Graves — who represents Missouri’s 6th District, including parts of the Kansas City area and most of northern Missouri — was first elected to Congress in 2000 and has won reelection 11 times.
He serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Armed Services committees.
“When I first came to Congress, I fought hard to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” Graves said in a lengthy statement. “It’s now one of the greatest honors of my life to be chosen by my colleagues to chair what I believe is one of the most important and effective committees in Congress. America cannot prosper without a safe and efficient transportation network that meets the economic needs of our diverse states and communities.”
Graves has been the GOP’s ranking member on the committee for the last four years.
Graves’ committee will hold sway over much of the $1.2-trillion infrastructure spending bill passed early in President Biden’s administration.
He said finding ways to “alleviate ongoing energy and supply chain problems” would be central to his legislative agenda.
Graves helped secure funding to rebuild the Buck O’Neil Bridge along with numerous other infrastructure projects in the state.
“As the Chairman, I’ll have the ability to improve Missouri’s infrastructure even more,” he said. “I am also looking forward to working across the aisle to develop other key authorizations for our transportation and infrastructure systems, including a Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, a pipeline safety bill, a Coast Guard bill, and the next Water Resources Development Act.”
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