Summary

About

Source: Campaign page

U.S. Representative Tom Graves grew up in White, Georgia, in a single-wide trailer on a tar and gravel road.

Seeking to turn those humble roots into his own American Dream, Tom took to heart some advice from his father: Dream Big, Work Hard, Achieve Much.

That slogan fueled Tom from a young age as he immersed himself in studies and sports. He had the rare distinction of being both a star athlete and a mathlete. In high school, Tom was known to love football, algebra and his mohawk haircut.

Tom entered the work force at an early age, flipping burgers and delivering pizza to start. At age 17, Tom started his first business, Tough Turf Land Sculpting, and he hired his first employee. He continued to work and pay his way through college, graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in finance.

After college, Tom worked as an asset recovery specialist for a department store chain, but his entrepreneurial spirit remained. He saved enough to buy a landscaping business and eventually became a real estate investor.

In his spare time, Tom was seen riding around on his motorcycle with future wife Julie on board. It was on that motorcycle that they left their wedding ceremony and, some days later, saw a “for sale” sign by a winding dirt road in Gordon County. They ventured down the road and, after some rewiring and plumbing, they called that small farm house in Ranger their home.

It wasn’t until his thirties that Tom thought about running for public office. News came that an abortion clinic was planning to open nearby. Tom supported Julie as she became the founder and president of a peaceful, pro-life organization that opposed the plans. The community spoke and the clinic never opened. Inspired by their success, Tom discovered the power to do good through public action and ran for the Georgia General Assembly. He served there for over seven years.

In the state legislature, Tom used his work experience to craft legislation, such as the Georgia Jobs Act, that would grow the economy and create new job opportunities. He understood the simple fact that when a business pays less in taxes it has more money to hire people. Tom also gained a reputation for taking on excessive government after working on a zero-based budgeting bill that made state agencies justify every taxpayer dollar they wanted to spend, every year.

In 2010, the congressional seat for Georgia’s 9th district opened. Still dreaming big, Tom decided to run as a “pro-life, pro-gun, tax-cutting constitutional conservative.” He had to win four elections in 91 days and was sworn in that summer as a U.S. congressman from Georgia. As a result of redistricting, Tom was reelected in 2012 to represent the new 14th Congressional District.

In Congress, Tom serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which determines how the United States government spends taxpayer dollars. This assignment means Tom is on the front lines of the battle to solve America’s debt crisis. He works to balance the budget, cut government waste, and reform Congress so that it that focuses on saving – not spending – taxpayer dollars.

Back home in Ranger, Tom’s three kids – JoAnn, John and Janey – keep him busy, often teaching him the nuances of the latest social network. Julie’s heart for children has never changed, and she currently teaches at Red Bud Elementary. In the early mornings, Tom can be found running mountain trails or riding his bike through the hills of Georgia in preparation for the next triathlon.

At home he’s “Dad,” at Rock Bridge Community Church in Calhoun they just call him Tom, and around Georgia he’s one of the neighbors attending gun shows and cattle auctions. Tom is still dreaming big, working hard and seeking to achieve much for those he represents in the 14th Congressional District.

Experience

Work Experience

• Representative
  Georgia House of Representatives, 12th District
  2003 to 2010

Education

• B.B.A.
  University of Georgia

  Finance

Personal

Birth Year: 1970
Place of Birth: St Petersburg, FL
Gender: Male
Race(s): Caucasian
Religion: Christian: Baptist
Spouse: Julie Howard Graves
Children: Janey Graves, JoAnn Graves, John T. Graves

Contact

Email:

• Government
• Campaign

Offices

Washington D.C. Office
2078 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5211
Fax: (202) 225-8272

Rome Office
600 East First Street
Suite 301
Rome, GA 30161
Phone: (706) 290-1776
Fax: (706) 232-7864

Dalton Office
702 South Thornton Avenue
Dalton, GA 30720
Phone: (706) 226-5320
Fax: (706) 278-0840

Web

Government Page, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Campaign Site

Politics

Source: none

Recent Elections

2018 of 14th District

Source: Ballotpedia

Finances

GRAVES JR, JOHN THOMAS (TOM) has run in 11 races for public office, winning 10 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $8,011,173.

Source: Follow the Money

Committees

Committees

House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
House Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittees

Financial Services and General Government
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Voting Record

See: Vote Smart

New Legislation

Source: Govtrack.us

Issues

Source: Government page

Job Creation & Economic Growth:

After suffering through years of high unemployment and stagnant wages, hard-working Americans finally saw the economy start booming in 2017. By cutting unnecessary red tape, reforming the tax code and creating a business-friendly environment in America, our nation has a solid economic foundation to build upon. I’m working in Congress to lock in and expand this economic growth by passing legislation that continues to reduce regulatory burdens, increase competition, encourage entrepreneurship, maximize energy production and pay down the national debt.

Modernizing congress:

In January 2019, a nearly unanimous bipartisan vote of 418-12 in the U.S. House of Representatives established the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, with both Democrats and Republicans recognizing that it was time for Congress to revamp the institution to be more responsive to and representative of the American people’s needs and aspirations.

I was chosen by Republican Leadership in the House to be the Select Committee’s Vice Chair, alongside Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) as Chair. The Select Committee is one of the only truly bipartisan committees in Washington, with an equal number of Republican and Democratic members.

“The sole authority of the Select Committee shall be to investigate, study, make findings, hold public hearings, and develop recommendations on modernizing Congress, including recommendations on:

(A) rules to promote a more modern and efficient Congress;
(B) procedures, including the schedule and calendar;
(C) policies to develop the next generation of leaders;
(D) staff recruitment, diversity, retention, and compensation and benefits;
(E) administrative efficiencies, including purchasing, travel, outside services, and shared administrative staff;
(F) technology and innovation; and
(G) the work of the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards.”

Financial Services:

As Republican Leader of the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services Subcommittee, I’m working with the Trump administration to slash harmful regulations, streamline outdated agency processes, and free families and businesses to achieve their dreams. I’m also working to foster an environment where the financial technology industry – known as “fintech” – can thrive, while protecting consumers from bad actors. Here are some of the conservative wins I secured in my House-passed Financial Services Appropriations bill:

Creating the Fund for America’s Kids and Grandkids

o Cuts $585 million from across the Financial Services Appropriations bill

o Prevents the money from being spent until the budget deficit is erased

o Provides a new way to get control of D.C. spending

Providing community banks with targeted relief from regulations that make it harder for them to lend to individuals and business in their community
Reining in the rogue, unaccountable Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection and bringing it under congressional oversight for the first time
Holding the IRS accountable, while ensuring sufficient funding for protections for information security and the effective implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Directing resources to programs that will help boost economic growth and opportunity, protect consumers and investors, promote an efficient federal court system, and stop financial crime
Protecting life, including:
o Prohibiting federal and local funds from being used for abortion

o Prohibiting funds for enforcement of DC Reproductive Non-Discrimination Act, which could force religious groups or non-profits to make hiring decisions that conflict with their sincerely held beliefs

o Prohibiting funds for DC’s law legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the District

o Prohibiting the use of funds in the Federal Employee Health Benefits program for abortion

Prioritizing law enforcement, homeland security and cybersecurity, including:
o Fighting the opioid epidemic by increasing funding for the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program and for other federal drug control programs

o Beefing up the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence

o Strengthening the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

o Funding the Treasury Department’s Cybersecurity Enhancement Account

o Updating IT systems across the federal government through the Technology Modernization Fund

Healthcare:

We need real health care reform that puts patients first and expands choice, not Obamacare’s top-down mandates that have resulted in higher premiums, limited choice and the cancellation of millions of health care plans. By repealing Obamacare in its entirety, we can start fresh on health care reform without the constraints of the unworkable and unfixable disaster that is Obamacare. House Republicans are developing patient-centered solutions, which preserve personal freedom, expand choice, and allow people to keep the doctor and health insurance plan they like and trust.

Cutting spending & balancing the budget: 

Washington’s “spend-first” philosophy has led to today’s staggering national debt of more than $22 trillion – and counting. I’m working with other conservatives in Congress to cut and reform spending, and pass a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which will force the federal government to live within its means. Although we will have to make difficult choices to achieve a balanced budget, we must take action now to ensure the future prosperity of our great nation.

Strong national defense & veterans’ care: 

The most fundamental role of the federal government is to provide for our common defense. To effectively protect our nation from threats, we must have the strongest, most advanced military in the world. This means that the brave men and women of our Armed Forces must be appropriately trained and equipped. It also means that we must continually invest in new and better technologies to stay ahead of our enemies and better protect our troops. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations’ Defense Subcommittee, I’m fighting to ensure our military has the resources it needs to defend our nation. Additionally, when our men and women in uniform leave the service, our nation must never forget its sacred obligation to care for them. Our veterans should receive the best possible care and services our nation can provide.

Supporting Israel: 

Israel is one of our closest and most important allies. Our nations share a special bond, which I will always fight to enhance and safeguard. Accordingly, I introduced legislation in the 115th Congress recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel (H.Con.Res.92) that was unanimously approved by the House in November 2017. In addition, I was the lead co-sponsor of a bill to help improve Israel’s access to high-tech military weapons, the Procure PGMS for Israel Act (H.R. 4707).

As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services Subcommittee in the 115th Congress, I supported boosted funding for the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) to support sanctions enforcement, which is key to holding rogue actors like Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas accountable. I also support funding for cooperative missile defense programs like Iron Dome and other systems, which protect Israel from rocket attacks and save thousands of lives.

I also co-sponsored and voted for several other important bills strengthening America’s ties with Israel that passed the House during the 115th Congress, including:

• The Taylor Force Act (H.R. 1164), which prohibits foreign assistance for the Palestinian Authority unless they take steps to end acts of violence against American and Israeli citizens
• The International Sanctions Enforcement Act (H.R. 1698), which mandates that the Administration impose sanctions on foreign persons and entities involved with Iran’s ballistic missile program and those who provide or receive conventional weapons from Iran
• The Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017 (H.R. 3329), which amends and strengthens sanctions on the terrorist organization Hizballah

Border Security: 

With ever-expanding threats posing serious risks to our nation’s security, economy and communities, it’s more important than ever that we secure our borders.

At the start of the 116th Congress, I was chosen to serve as a member of the bipartisan Conference Committee to secure the border. We have an obligation to protect our border and to secure our nation. I support solutions that focus on border security and ensure our nation’s immigration laws are upheld. I’m opposed to legislation that would grant amnesty to those who have broken our nation’s laws.

Improving cybersecurity: 

To read more on this important issue, please click here.

Americans who take precautions, such as installing updates, purchasing anti-virus software and using strong passwords, are still falling victim to cyberattacks. Companies continue to suffer major breaches of their often sophisticated cyber defenses. That’s why I introduced the Active Cyber Defense Certainty Act (ACDC). It’s a bipartisan, America First cybersecurity bill that will give our citizens and businesses more tools to protect themselves online. Click HERE to read the details.

Pro-growth tax reform: 

I was proud to support the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which President Trump signed into law on December 22, 2017. It was the first overhaul of our nation’s tax code in more than 30 years, and a huge win for hard-working American families, who were burdened for decades by an outdated, unfair tax code.

Among its many positive changes, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubles the standard deduction from $6,350 to $12,000 for individuals and from $12,700 to $24,000 for married couples, cuts individual tax rates across all brackets and maintains the mortgage interest deduction up to $750,000. These changes will allow you to keep more of your hard-earned money, so that you can save, spend and invest in the things that matter to you. Click HERE to read more about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

2nd Amendment: 

As a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, I will always back legislation that upholds each American’s constitutional right to keep and bear arms. I will also oppose any legislation that erodes the Second Amendment rights of law abiding gun owners – rather than punishing criminals who abuse these rights.

I also supported “Tax Reform 2.0,” a combination of three bills (Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act, Family Savings Act and the American Innovation Act) which would make permanent the individual and small business tax cuts made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, making these tax cuts permanent would create 1.5 million new jobs, increase wages by 0.9 percent and increase GDP by 2.2 percent. The House passed all three bills in the 115th Congress.