He has notably served as the Chair in charge of the influential Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House for multiple years, with him being able to exceed the system of American term limits normally enforced by the Republican leadership.

[1] Graves is a lifelong resident of Tarkio, a small city in Missouri's northwestern corner, not far from the Iowa and Nebraska borders.

He owns a Piper PA-11 Cub Special, is restoring a Beech AT-10, and co-owns a North American T-6 Texan and a Vultee BT-13 Valiant.

The bill would allow dependents of military members to stay on their parents' TRICARE health plan after turning age 26.

Graves had failed to mention the financial link between his wife and Hurst 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.

Graves called Danner as a "tax and spend liberal" and won the race with 51% of the vote,[23] largely by running up huge margins in the district's rural areas.

He was arguably helped by George W. Bush carrying the district in the 2000 presidential election, a theory known as the coattail effect.

Graves gained national attention early in the race for running an ad accusing Barnes of promoting "San Francisco values."