Sam Graves

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Cole R. Southard. Cole is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Cole has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Cole has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Cole R. Southard for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Ryan J. Pfannenstiel. Ryan is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Ryan has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Ryan has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Ryan J. Pfannenstiel for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Bennett J. Thomas. Bennett is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Bennett has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Bennett has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Bennett J. Thomas for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to thank Josh Hurlbert for his many meaningful years of service to the Sixth Congressional District of Missouri. Josh has been an invaluable member of my team in the Sixth Congressional District for twelve years. Getting his start as a volunteer for the office, Josh has worked his way through several positions on my staff. From Staff Assistant to Caseworker to Senior Field Representative--Josh is truly a jack of all trades. Josh also served the district in his role as Smithville Alderman. His untiring work ethic and vast knowledge of federal agencies and state issues alike have made him a crucial member of my staff. Josh's dedication and leadership has not gone unnoticed by voters in Missouri. Upon leaving my staff, Josh will continue his service to the State of Missouri as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives. As the Representative for the Twelfth District, Josh will continue to honorably represent the residents of North Missouri and ensure that their voices are heard by the government. I look forward to working with him to continue to improve the lives of our shared constituents. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in recognizing Josh Hurlbert for his commitment to not just Missouri's Sixth Congressional District, but the entire state of Missouri. I am honored to have had him on my team for 12 years and I am excited to see him continue as a leader in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to congratulate Thomas Brown on his retirement and thank him for his many meaningful years of service to the Sixth Congressional District of Missouri. Tom has been a crucial member of my team in the House of Representatives for fifteen years, and his impact on Missouri's Sixth Congressional District cannot be overstated. In 2005, Tom joined my team as Chief of Staff, and has since held multiple other titles, including District Director and Senior Advisor. Tom's wealth of knowledge about Missouri and the needs of the constituents in the Sixth Congressional District made him both an effective leader in the office and an invaluable voice for the district. In the past fifteen years, Tom has made himself known as a true force to be reckoned with, using his wide network of relationships and his unmatched experience in the region to bring real change to Missourians. Tom's dedication to the people of Missouri is in no way limited to his time on my staff. Before joining our team, Tom served as a Clay County Commissioner, Chairman of the Missouri Lottery Commission, and the Chairman of the Board at Saint Luke's North Hospital. Tom has also served on boards for the Mid-America Regional Council, Tri-County Mental Health, and Synergy Services. His tireless efforts on behalf of Missouri will be felt long after his time on staff comes to an end. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in recognizing Tom Brown for his commitment to the Northland, Missouri's Congressional Sixth District, and the entire Show Me State. I am honored to have worked with him for the past 15 years and am honored to call him, and his family, my friends and neighbors.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, some of what I say today is going to be a little redundant, but I think it does bear repeating. I do stand here in strong support of the amended version of S. 1811, which is the Water Resources Development Act 2020 or WRDA. The bill represents a bipartisan, bicameral compromise. It renews our commitment to regularly consider water resources infrastructure legislation. And I remind my House colleagues and reiterate what the chairman said, we unanimously passed a bipartisan WRDA bill out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and we unanimously passed it on the floor of the House in July. And now, 5 months later, we hope to do the very same thing after successfully negotiating with the Senate. Madam Speaker, WRDA 2020 authorizes--and, again, as has been pointed out--60 critical water resource projects. This is the most authorizations in recent history. These projects are going to strengthen our global competitiveness, they are going to grow the economy, they are going to provide flood protection for our communities, they are going to safeguard the environment, and create jobs. Additionally, WRDA is fiscally responsible and deauthorizes old projects to fully offset new authorizations. It advances inland waterway improvements by adjusting the Inland Waterways Trust Fund cost-share; it includes important considerations and set-asides for rural communities; and it provides relief to communities, such as those in my home State of Missouri that have experienced repetitive losses as a result of flood events. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman DeFazio, Chair Napolitano, Ranking Member Westerman, and committee members and staff on both sides for their efforts in this very important piece of legislation. On the Republican staff, I particularly want to thank the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment staff: Ian Bennitt, Jon Pawlow, and Victor Sarmiento. These folks have worked over weekends, they have worked over the recent holidays to help ensure that our priorities were intact, and we could move this bill prior to the end of Congress--at least this year's Congress. I thank my general counsel, Corey Cooke, Tara Hupman, Tyler Micheletti, Justin Harclerode, Abby Camp, Nick Christensen, Jack Ruddy, and my full committee staff director, Paul Sass, for their hard work on this and getting it done. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill, S. 1811, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, in closing, let me note that WRDA 2020 will make America more competitive, grow jobs, foster a more robust economy, and, very importantly, it is going to protect our communities for years to come. We passed a very similar bill by voice vote earlier this year, and this version reflects negotiations with the Senate that successfully maintained those strong principles and priorities from the House bill. Madam Speaker, I would just like to say, as well, that it has been a pleasure working with Chairman DeFazio and his staff in this process, and this is the way that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure usually works; and when it does work this way, we produce really good products. This is a good piece of legislation, and, hopefully, we will see much more of that in the future. I know I am committed to it, and I think it makes a big difference. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jacobs).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin).

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Nnamdi P.J. Anyanike. Nnamdi is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Nnamdi has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Nnamdi has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Nnamdi P.J. Anyanike for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Thomas J. Mann, IV. Thomas is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 215, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Thomas has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Thomas has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Thomas has served his troop as Patrol Leader and earned the rank of Runner in the Tribe of Mic-0-Say. Thomas has also contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Thomas built bat houses for the Missouri Department of Conservation. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Thomas J. Mann, IV for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Luke James Stanton. Luke is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1376, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Luke has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Luke has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Luke has earned the rank of Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Luke has also contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Luke replaced all the service flag poles at the Veteran's Memorial in Liberty, MO. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Luke James Stanton for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Cole S. Caylor. Cole is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Cole has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Cole has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Cole S. Caylor for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Matthew Nicholas Sutherland. Matthew is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1376, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Matthew has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Matthew has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Matthew has served his troop as patrol leader and earned the rank of Brave in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Matthew has also contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Matthew made closets at the Clay County Museum for his Eagle Scout project. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Matthew Nicholas Sutherland for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Brenon D. Carr. Brenon is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1376, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Brenon has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Brenon has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Brenon has served his troop as Den Chief and earned the rank of Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Brenon has also contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Brenon planted four raised vegetable garden beds for Life Unlimited, a group home for adults with special needs in Liberty, Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Brenon D. Carr for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Jack T. Chirpich. Jack is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Jack has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Jack has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Jack T. Chirpich for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Jerald Mutchler. Jerald is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 214, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Jerald has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Jerald has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Jerald has earned the rank of Hardway Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Jerald has also contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Jerald helped in with Our Lady of Mercy Country Home Bench Rebuild. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Jerald Mutchler for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2914 is going to help speed up the recovery following a disaster by helping disaster victims who have lost their personal records, and likely much more, to verify residency and homeownership. It is a very good piece of legislation, and I would urge support of this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri

Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am the proud sponsor of H.R. 5953, the Preventing Disaster Revictimization Act. In the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act, Congress made the recovery process fairer and more equitable for most communities. This bill builds upon those efforts by ensuring that spent funds aren't clawed back. When a disaster victim applies in good faith to FEMA for assistance and receives it from the Agency, we fully expect those individuals need to move quickly to use the assistance for eligible expenses, like home repairs, to speed up recovery, to begin rebuilding their lives. These victims should never expect FEMA to come back weeks or months or sometimes even years later and say: Sorry, we made a mistake. Now, you, the victim, have to give back those funds that we have already distributed to you and that you have already put to good use. To add insult to injury, FEMA's information on how disaster victims can appeal these decisions is incredibly confusing, and it is insufficient. Through no fault of their own, many disaster victims are faced with debt collectors and the full force of the Federal Government seeking repayment. People acting in good faith to rebuild should not be revictimized because they relied upon FEMA's determination that they were qualified for assistance that they did receive. Unfortunately, disaster victims have experienced this recently in my own district in a few of my communities, and one in particular, Craig, Missouri, and in other communities all across the country. One constituent in my district was awarded just over $12,000 only to have FEMA show up after the money was spent to say that they messed up, that that individual didn't actually qualify for the money, in their determination, and that it needed to be paid back. That is simply wrong, and it can devastate someone who is already facing some very difficult circumstances. H.R. 5953 is going to clarify that if FEMA makes an error and there is no evidence of fraud, the victim will not be revictimized, and their debt is automatically viewed as a hardship and waived. In addition, the bill would also require FEMA to report back to Congress on its error rates and tell us what they are doing to be more accountable. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation to ensure that the government does not revictimize disaster victims, and I reserve the balance of my time.