U.S. Rep. Sam Graves Archives

Northern Missouri food bank leader testifies before Congress about hunger needs, during pandemic

July 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The chief executive officer of a northwest Missouri food bank testifies the response and recovery effort from COVID-19 will be the largest relief assistance program in American history, by far.

Second Harvest Community Food Bank serves 15 northwest Missouri counties, along with four Kansas counties (2020 photo courtesy of Second Harvest’s Facebook page)

Second Harvest Community Food Bank CEO Chad Higdon testified Tuesday before a congressional subcommittee on emergency management. The food bank is headquartered in St. Joseph.

“We have seen a tremendous increase in need as a result of COVID-19,” Higdon testifies. “This past fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed 9.9 million pounds of food, up 31 percent from our record distribution the year prior.”

Higdon says that translates to about 8.25 million meals to needy families. He also says the food bank distributed about one million pounds of food in July.

“We understand that low-income families in general are vulnerable. One vehicle emergency or unexpected home repair can set a family back financially for months, and we know that low-income seniors often must choose between needed prescriptions and a nutritious meal,” Higdon says.

Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are praising the St. Joseph food bank for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Harvest serves 15 northwest Missouri counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway and Worth. Towns include St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany and Trenton.

It also serves four Kansas counties.

Second Harvest employs a staff of 24 full-time employees, with an annual operating budget of $3.7 million. Mr. Higdon testifies that prior to the pandemic, they were serving about 45,000 individuals. He says that number is now about 64,000, about 18 percent of the population in those counties.

He testifies about 26 percent of the children in that area are food insecure.

Higdon praises the members of the congressional subcommittee for their support of food banks. He testified at the request of U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, who says Higdon’s testimony highlights how disasters impact vulnerable populations like the elderly.

Higdon testified from Congressman Graves’ St. Joseph office, because witnesses were encouraged to participate remotely due to the pandemic. He also submitted written testimony.

Second Harvest Community Food Bank’s website says its mission “is to provide nourishment and hope to the hungry in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas, while engaging and empowering the region in the fight to end hunger.”

Graves says northwest Missouri is still impacted from record 2019 flooding (AUDIO)

July 24, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A congressman who represents northern Missouri says it’s been about 500 days since the Flood of 2019 began, and that thousands of acres of the world’s most fertile farmland are still covered under water or silt and sand.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, visits with officials and residents in flooded Holt County in March 2019 (file photo courtesy of the congressman’s Facebook page)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, says two small farming towns northwest of St. Joseph have been especially impacted.

“Craig, Missouri being one of those,” Graves says. “Corning, Missouri another. Those are just two that are in Holt County.”

Holt County saw record flooding in 2019, which covered heavily-traveled Highway 159. Graves says some residents there have lost their farms and homes, multiple times.

The Missouri Farm Bureau says more than 1.4 million acres of farmland in the state went unplanted in 2019, due to flooding. One of the hardest-hit areas was in Holt County.

Graves, the ranking Republican on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is critical of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He says flood control and navigation should be the Corps’ top priority for the Missouri River.

He says 578-million tons of goods are shipped by barges annually.

Congressman Graves and Governor Mike Parson have both criticized the Corps. Parson and the governors of neighboring Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska have met with the Corps at least three times, to discuss what needs to be done differently in the future.

The governors have signed a four-state agreement to cooperate on issues relating to flood control and the Corps.

Graves tells Missourinet that some towns in his district are still behind temporarily-repaired levees.

“In many cases too, they’re building back to the exact same criteria that was there before,” says Graves.

Graves is optimistic that Congress will approve a major water resources bill before the November election. He says the bipartisan bill is aimed at helping communities impacted by repeated flooding.

“I think it will go very easily off the floor of the House. Again, it was unanimous out of committee, and then it will go over to the Senate and then we’ll work it out in conference,” Graves says.

He says the bill gives towns more help in planning and implementing flood control projects that limit the risk of future floods.

Graves, a dean in Missouri’s congressional delegation, represents 36 northern Missouri counties. He’s finishing his tenth term on Capitol Hill. His district includes Craig, St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany, Macon, Kirksville and Hannibal.

Click here to listen to the full eight-minute interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, which was recorded on July 17, 2020:

Missouri GOP Congressman: COVID-19 outbreak is unlike anything we’ve ever seen (AUDIO)

March 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A northern Missouri congressman who’s a dean in the state’s congressional delegation says the $2 trillion economic stimulus package is aimed at helping America emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, represents 36 counties in northern Missouri (file photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, voted for the bill on Friday. He says the bill provides $350 billion to the Small Business Administration (SBA), to supply main street businesses with the capital they need to keep the lights on and their workers on the payroll.

“And as long as they (main street businesses) continue to keep them on the payroll through July 2, then that becomes forgiven,” Graves says.

Governor Mike Parson has warned that thousands of Missourians will lose their jobs due to the outbreak. Congressman Graves says the stimulus boosts unemployment benefits for the millions of Americans who’ve lost their jobs.

Graves represents 36 counties in northern Missouri. His sprawling district is larger than nine U.S. states, and includes St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany, Kirksville and Hannibal.

Congressman Graves tells Missourinet that some hospitals in his district have struggled to get personal protective equipment (PPE), like masks. He notes the stimulus package also includes $117 billion in funding for hospitals and the Veterans Administration (VA) to care for patients and to protect health care employees battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Those of us who represent rural areas want to make sure that rural hospitals have every bit as much equipment as they need to combat this,” says Graves. “So far, they have not been overrun, but that could quickly, quickly change.”

Parson announced Monday afternoon that the state’s Strategic National Stockpile has now shipped 7,000 gloves and 3,300 cases of masks to hospitals, EMS and long-term care facilities.

State health officials say there are now 1,031 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, along with 13 deaths.

As for Graves, he says church groups and other organizations are grocery shopping for seniors in his district, to help the seniors limit their exposure during the COVID-19 outbreak. Graves’ district has a large elderly population.

“And that’s what rural Missouri is about and all of our rural areas. We take care of people and we take care of our neighbors and our family, and that’s very heartwarming,” Graves says.

Graves says the pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge for America, and that Americans have responded with unprecedented patriotism.

Graves and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R) say the stimulus will also provide most American adults with $1,200 checks to help them make ends meet during the outbreak.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, which was recorded on March 30, 2020:

Northern Missouri Congressman Graves focusing on flooding and levees (AUDIO)

February 29, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A congressman who represents north Missouri on Capitol Hill warns that northwest Missouri is still suffering from flooding, and that there’s a lot of damage to infrastructure.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, tours the MFA Rail facility near northwest Missouri’s Hamilton on October 8, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, traveled from his Atchison County farm to Jefferson City this week to file for re-election to his 11th term. Graves is the longest-serving Republican in Missouri’s congressional delegation. He’s also a dean in the delegation, along with U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis. Both were elected to Congress in 2000.

Congressman Graves spoke to Missourinet after he filed, reiterating that flooding and transportation are his top two priorities. He says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and other House Democrats have focused too much attention on impeachment.

“We haven’t worked on flood legislation, we have not worked on prescription drugs, we have not got an infrastructure bill because they’ve been spending all of their time with impeachment, and that’s all they seem to want to do,” Graves says.

Graves, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee, says there are flood-damaged roads and bridges in northwest Missouri that still need to be rebuilt.

He’s critical of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, saying they don’t listen.

“It’s a management situation, that’s what it comes down to is how they manage the Missouri River,” Graves says. “And we’ve got people’s lives on the line, and their livelihoods and the farms and their communities.”

Congressman Graves and Governor Mike Parson (R) have both criticized the Corps. Parson and the governors of neighboring Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska have met with the Corps of Engineers three times to discuss what needs to be done differently in the future.

The governors have signed a four-state agreement to cooperate on issues relating to flood control and the Corps.

As for Graves, he wants to see changes in Corps plans.

“It’s very frustrating that the Corps doesn’t seem to want to to change,” says Graves. “And it’s like dragging them, kicking and screaming.”

Graves says flood control should be the Corps’ top priority for the Missouri River. He also notes the severe flooding that happened in 2019 in north-central Missouri’s Brunswick, which is in his district.

Severe flooding from the Grand River caused a railroad bridge to wash out in Brunswick, and it also damaged other infrastructure in the town of about 800.

The Missouri Farm Bureau says more than 1.4 million acres of farmland in the state went unplanted in 2019, due to flooding.

The state Department of Agriculture (MDA), the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Farm Bureau, the Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association and the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River will hold round table discussions Monday and Tuesday about flooding.

The meetings are designed to answer questions from farmers about 2019 flooding and to help them prepare for potential flooding this spring.

There will be two meetings on Monday in northwest Missouri: at 10 a.m. at the Atchison County Extension Building in Rock Port and at 2:30 p.m. at the East Hills Library in St. Joseph. Tuesday’s meetings will take place at 9 a.m. at the Knight and Rucker Banquet Hall in Brunswick and at 2:30 at the Corner restaurant in east-central Missouri’s Rhineland.

Graves was re-elected to his tenth term in 2018, defeating Democrat Henry Robert Martin with about 65 percent of the vote.

Four Democrats have already filed to challenge Graves. They are Kansas City’s Martin, Kansas City’s Ramona Farris, Canton’s Charles West and Platte City resident Gena Ross.

The sprawling sixth congressional district covers 36 northern Missouri counties, from the Missouri to the Mississippi River. It covers more square miles than nine U.S. states.

The district includes St. Joseph, Chillicothe, Bethany, Macon, Kirksville and Hannibal.

Click here to listen to the full three-minute interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, which was recorded on February 25, 2020 at the Kirkpatrick Building in Jefferson City:

U.S. Agriculture Secretary heading to Kansas City on Friday; Graves praises relocation plan (AUDIO)

November 11, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A congressman who represents 36 northern Missouri counties is praising USDA’s selection of Kansas City as the site for two major USDA facilities.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, farms in northwest Missouri’s Atchison County in October 2019 (photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, a sixth-generation family farmer, says 90 percent of USDA employees are already outside of Washington. Graves’ sprawling district includes the northern Kansas City suburbs.

“The closer we can get USDA’s core or headquarter staff to agriculture, the better,” Graves says.

USDA will relocate its Economic Research Service (ERS) and its National Institute of Food and Agriculture Policy (NIFA) agencies to Pennsylvania Avenue in Kansas City.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue will travel to the location on Friday morning to hold an event with Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Senator Roy Blunt, state Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn, state Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon and others.

Congressman Graves praises the relocation plan, saying it will decentralize USDA.

“When you put too many bureaucrats for an agency inside the Beltway, inside Washington D.C. where they’re not out there interacting with the very people that they are supposed to be serving, then you get into some serious problems,” says Graves.

He says USDA’s decision puts the agencies closer to constituencies.

Graves also predicts the decision will have a “ripple effect” two to three counties deep. He says the average wages for the approximately 550 positions are between $80,000 and $100,000.

“Buying homes, renting apartments, buying gas, buying groceries, buying new televisions, whatever the case may be,” Graves says.

He also emphasizes that the issue has been bipartisan, noting that he’s been working closely with U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) has also praised the plan and the bipartisan regional efforts to land the jobs. Mayor Lucas notes Kansas City is an essential part of the animal health corridor.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, which was recorded on November 1, 2019:

Congressman Graves: Corps’ priorities for Missouri River are backwards (AUDIO)

August 10, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A congressman who represents flood-damaged northern Missouri is blasting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, saying it’s “long past time” that flood control is the top priority for the Missouri River.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, tours the MFA Rail facility near northwest Missouri’s Hamilton on October 8, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, visited flood-impacted Brunswick on Friday. Brunswick, a Chariton County town of about 800, sustained severe flooding from the Grand River this summer.

Graves met with Brunswick officials to discuss flood recovery efforts. He tells Missourinet he’s losing his patience.

“This is so frustrating, it’s getting old, it’s getting tiresome, it’s affecting people’s lives, it’s affecting communities,” Graves says.

He says flooding has caused devastation across north Missouri, including Brunswick. Graves describes the Corps’ management priorities on the Missouri River as “backwards.”

“And it’s so frustrating, you just literally want to pull your hair out,” says Graves. “And we continue to pound on the Corps and push the Corps and we can’t seem to get anywhere with them.”

Graves agrees with Governor Mike Parson’s call for the Corps to manage the Missouri River differently.

Parson notes that he and fellow governors from Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska have met with the Corps, urging them to give states a seat at the table. Parson says states must have a significant say in Missouri River management.

Graves represents 36 counties across north Missouri. His sprawling district, which has more square miles than nine states, spans from the Missouri to the Mississippi rivers.

Graves’ district includes Brunswick, St. Joseph and Hannibal.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, which was recorded on August 7, 2019:

Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan to be honored in north Missouri (AUDIO)

August 8, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

A post office in northern Missouri will be renamed for a Navy SEAL from Macon County who died in a 2010 helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan.

An undated photo of Navy SEAL Adam Olin Smith, who died in Afghanistan in 2010 (photo courtesy of United States Postal Service)

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will hold a dedication ceremony Friday morning in Bevier for Adam Olin Smith, who grew up in the small town of about 700. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, says Smith always wanted to be a Navy SEAL.

“You know this is somebody that was a hero, a leader, he was 26 years old, he was a Navy SEAL, graduated from Bevier High School,” Graves says.

Smith grew up in Bevier with his three brothers and seven sisters. Bevier is west of Macon.

Congressman Graves sponsored the 2018 bill to rename the Bevier Post Office after Smith, and it was signed into law by President Donald Trump. Graves will speak at Friday morning’s ceremony, which begins at 11 at the Bevier city park.

“It’s a testament to his legacy there in Macon County, and it’s an honor to dedicate it with his family and friends,” says Graves.

Graves, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, tells Missourinet the public is invited to the ceremony. He’s hoping for a big turnout.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Congressman Sam Graves, which was recorded on August 7, 2019:

Missouri native confirmed as HUD Assistant Secretary (AUDIO)

June 27, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The U.S. Senate has confirmed St. Louis native Seth Appleton as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Assistant Secretary.

St. Louis native Seth Appleton is now the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Assistant Secretary (2019 photo courtesy of HUD)

Mr. Appleton served as the chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, from 2009 to 2017. He describes Appleton as a workhorse.

“He’ll do a fantastic job,” Luetkemeyer says. “He’s interned with (former Missouri Senator) Jim Talent and worked for (Congressman) Sam Graves, so he’s got a lot of Missouri connections besides being from Missouri, but a very bright guy.”

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson says Appleton brings a data-driven approach to HUD’s mission.

Luetkemeyer says Appleton works well with lawmakers in both parties, saying that is critical in areas like affordable housing.

“He has a very even temperament which it takes to be able to work with both sides so he’s willing to sit down and find solutions,” says Luetkemeyer.

Congressman Luetkemeyer, the former chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, tells Missourinet that Appleton helped him pass one of the biggest pieces of bipartisan housing legislation in 25 years.

“It passed the House in unanimous fashion, passed the Senate in unanimous fashion and was a huge, huge bill that made lots and lots of changes and updates to HUD,” Luetkemeyer says.

Luetkemeyer notes Democratic President Barack Obama signed that bill into law, and that U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, was the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat at the time. Appleton also worked with Congressman Cleaver on the bill.

The law has 62 provisions.

As for the future, Luetkemeyer says affordable housing will be one of the most important issues Appleton will face, because it impacts both urban and rural America.

Appleton graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor of arts degree in history.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full five-minute interview with Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, which was recorded on June 25, 2019:

Missouri Farm Bureau praises USDA’s Kansas City relocation proposal (AUDIO)

June 16, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The head of Missouri’s largest general farm organization is praising the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed relocation of two major USDA facilities to the Kansas City region.

Image courtesy of the Missouri Farm Bureau

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst says the move will improve USDA’s customer service, by having our public servants living where their customers are.

“You know within a day’s drive of their new headquarters (in the greater Kansas City area) will be most of the corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton, I mean you think about the crops, pork, beef,” Hurst says.

Hurst describes Kansas City as the heart of our farm economy.

“The Kansas City area is home to what we call the animal science corridor, just very close to some of the best plant science researchers in the world,” says Hurst.

The Kansas City Area Development Council says the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor is home to more than 300 animal health companies, representing the world’s largest concentration.

The Council says the corridor is anchored by Columbia and Manhattan, Kansas, which is where Kansas State University is located.

There is opposition to the relocation from U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, who vows to explore all options to reverse USDA’s decision.

Leader Hoyer has issued a statement, which says the proposed relocation would disrupt the work done by USDA and would hurt the morale of federal employees.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, says more than 550 jobs are involved, with average wages between $80,000 and $100,000.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, tells Missourinet the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will conduct a search for a site, emphasizing that nothing has been decided yet on the site.

Hurst agrees and says whether it’s located in Missouri or eastern Kansas, the Kansas City area and Missouri will benefit. He’s hoping it will be in Missouri.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst, which was recorded on June 13, 2019:

Missouri Congressman Graves optimistic about USDA moving to Kansas City region (AUDIO)

June 14, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it’s selected the greater Kansas City area for the relocation of two major facilities: its Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agricultural Policy.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, says the decision will draw more than 550 jobs to the Kansas City region, with average wages between $80,000 and $100,000.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, tours the MFA Rail facility near northwest Missouri’s Hamilton on October 8, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, who represents 36 northern Missouri counties, says it makes sense to move the USDA agencies from Washington to what he describes as “the heart of farm country.”

“This is going to take those agencies right out to the very places that they’re doing research for and trying to help and the industry they’re trying to help,” Graves says.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) says the Kansas City area is closer to USDA’s farmer-constituent base. Congressman Graves, who farms in northwest Missouri, agrees. He says the move gets USDA closer to the people they serve.

“And what’s more, it gets them closer to FAPRI, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute there at the University of Missouri which does a lot of the work, the research work for these two agencies,” says Graves.

FAPRI was started in 1984. Its website notes it provides objective analysis of markets and policies. One of its primary purposes is to provide decision makers with information about how policy changes or market conditions impact the agricultural sector.

While there will be efforts to block it, Graves is optimistic about USDA’s proposal to relocate to the Kansas City region. He says it underscores the quality of life in the greater Kansas City area.

“We’ve got good schools and we got good communities and safe communities and that’s what is important when it comes to attracting folks to take these positions,” Graves says.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst agrees, saying Kansas City “is the heart of our farm economy” and is the right choice for USDA.

U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, is blasting the move, calling it the “wrong decision.” Leader Hoyer has issued a statement, saying he’ll continue to explore all options to reverse USDA’s decision.

Cleaver expects a fight from the Maryland and Virginia congressional delegations.

Congressman Graves says the move will save tax dollars. The “Kansas City Star” reports Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says the relocation will save USDA about $300 million over 15 years.

Graves tells Missourinet the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will conduct a search for a site, emphasizing that nothing has been decided yet on the site.

Graves also emphasizes that it’s been a bipartisan effort in Missouri to land the jobs, crediting both Congressman Cleaver and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, which was recorded on June 13, 2019: