Sam Graves

Recognizing the roles and contributions of elementary and secondary school teachers in building and enhancing the civic, cultural, and economic well-being of the United States.

in committee

ALERT Act

in committee

Protecting Small Businesses from Predatory Website Lawsuits Act

in committee

“Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, United States Navy Retired, who is considered the Father of AEGIS, the greatest maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defense System in the world today. With nearly a hundred ships, this fleet is the longest warship construction program in our Nation's history and is the direct result of Admiral Meyer's singular leadership and pursuit of excellence. Admiral Meyer's life began far from the sea, in Brunswick, Missouri, in 1926, the oldest child of Nettie and Eugene Meyer. During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 and was immediately sent to the University of Kansas to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He eventually earned a graduate degree in electrical engineering, a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics, as well as numerous other diplomas and certifications. Upon receiving his Navy commission, he spent his early Navy years on extensive sea duty assignments. Over 20 years, he served on seven ships and on fleet staffs, gaining invaluable experience with guided missiles newly being installed in Navy ships. He served in the Special Navy Task Force for Surface Missile Systems, leading the effort to transition the Navy's Air Defense Fleet from analog to digital. He then served as the Chief Engineer at the Navy Surface Missile Systems Engineering Station in Port Hueneme, California. Ordered to Washington in 1970, he was the founding Project Manager for the AEGIS Weapon System Project, a major Research and Development program. In 1977, he became the first AEGIS Shipbuilding Project Manager, tasked to build the cruisers and destroyers that would take the AEGIS Weapon System to sea. All of this came at a time when Soviet cruise missiles and aircraft threatened to make our naval forces, especially aircraft carriers, irrelevant. AEGIS reversed that. His vision, initially designed for Fleet Air Defense in the open ocean, evolved to include operations in the littorals and ballistic missile defense, and was critical to our Navy's recent successes in defeating missile raids in the Red and Eastern Mediterranean Seas. Today, heavily armed, fast, multi-purpose AEGIS ships dominate the oceans as part of the United States' battle force. Rear Admiral Meyer was famous for his zeal, unyielding principles, and unparalleled communication skills. Mantras such as, ``build a little, test a little, learn a lot,'' ``act like you're in charge,'' and ``what's the price of failure?'' are part of the DNA that he instilled into his AEGIS engineering staffs and exist today in the current AEGIS program offices and industry partners. Retiring in 1985, Admiral Meyer stayed involved. He chaired numerous Navy advisory boards, the Ballistic Missile Defense Advisory Committee, and remained a valuable counselor as the ``Father of AEGIS.'' In 2006 the Navy named an AEGIS Destroyer, DDG 108, the USS Wayne E. Meyer in his honor. While Rear Admiral Meyer passed away in 2009, his legacy lives on through the most capable Air and Missile Defense warships that cruise the world's oceans, to include DDG 108, the USS Wayne E. Meyer, a ship named in his honor. I would like to recognize him on the centennial of his birth, for his service to our Nation, and the legacy he left to the United States Navy, the most powerful Navy in the world. Godspeed Rear Admiral Meyer. ____________________”

2026-04-21 · Defense

“Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Clark D. Thomas, a special employee of the USDA Rural Development--Missouri State Office, who recently retired after many dedicated years of service. Mr. Thomas was a remarkable civil servant for nearly six decades and deserves recognition for such an exemplary career in federal service. Clark began his federal service with the former Farmer's Home Administration on June 5, 1967. His federal service spanned 58 years, 3 months, and 25 days until his retirement on September 30, 2025. During his federal career, Clark served two years active duty in the Army as a First Lieutenant and was deployed to Vietnam. Upon returning from Vietnam, Clark continued his federal service at Farmer's Home Administration and then USDA Rural Development. During his tenure as a Program Director, a role he served in until his retirement in September 2025, Clark was responsible for more than 3,700 obligations totaling more than $2.4 billion in assistance to rural Missouri communities and businesses. Over the course of Clark's 58 years of service to the state of Missouri, many changes have occurred, but his consistent dedication remained. From water programs to broadband deployment, Clark made sure rural communities had the infrastructure needed to thrive. The unwavering support Clark received from [[Page E108]] his wife, Donna, and his daughters, Tammy and Traci, was also instrumental in him achieving such a successful career. Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in recognizing Clark Thomas for his long tenure of service to the citizens of the State of Missouri, and in thanking him for being an outstanding public servant. I wish him all the best in his retirement. ____________________”

2026-02-04 · Government Reform

“Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Frank Esten Cook III and his service to his country. Frank was born in Washington, D.C. on March 25, 1963, and passed away in Richmond, Kentucky on September 13, 2025. He was an avid outdoorsman, boater, and hunter. Frank was a U.S. Army veteran and served his country as a commissioned officer. His first love, however, was serving as a non- commissioned officer as a Blackhawk helicopter Crew Chief with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). In 1994, Frank was awarded Night Stalker Soldier of the Year for Outstanding Individual Contribution to Army Special Operation Aviation. This award was sponsored by Robertson Research Group, Inc. Frank was tough in every sense of the word, but he also cared deeply for his friends, family, and country. He would give you the shirt off his back, if you really needed it. He taught his family the value of being tough and rolling with what life gives you. He was fond of the saying ``rub some dirt on it, you'll be fine'', which carries weight with everyone who knew him. Frank took immense pride in being a Night Stalker. These men and women are some of the best rotary wing aviator crews in the world. Frank's attention to detail, his skills, and his tenacity drove him to join this elite regiment. Frank was very proud of both of his sons, Frank E. Cook IV (Frankie) of Jersey City, NJ and Anthony Guidi of Aloha. OR. As Frankie says, ``My dad wouldn't want anyone to cry over him.'' So today Mr. Speaker, we won't cry over him but rather honor this man as a veteran, a father, a brother, a son, and an American. ____________________”

2025-10-08 · Veterans