Multiple news sources, including Axios, have reported that the U.S. House of Representatives GOP steering committee has granted a waiver for Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., to continue as chair of the chamber’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Under Republican House rules, a waiver is required to serve in that leadership position for more than six years (three terms). With the incoming congress, Graves will have met that limit.
The congressman, who has strong connections to general aviation and is a longtime member and supporter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), is well respected and appreciated in GA circles. He was recently mentioned as a possible candidate for Secretary of Transportation.
During this year’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack Pelton praised Graves: “In his role as Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Sam Graves conveyed to Congress the necessity of giving the FAA its roadmap for the next five years, so the agency can plan and execute its important mission of keeping the American aviation system the safest and most active in the world. It is especially gratifying to see general aviation represented as an essential, stand-alone title within FAA reauthorization, a provision that exists because of the direction and support of Chairman Graves.”
Graves was challenged in his pursuit of the chairmanship by Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., who announced he was throwing his hat in the ring for the chairmanship last March.
