News Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Graves for Congress

The Washington Post: House bill gives airlines flexibility in advertising ticket prices

BY ASHLEY HALSEY III

Two years ago, federal regulators changed the rules on how airlines advertise their ticket prices, saying the change would make the cost of flying more transparent.

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House on Thursday would undo that change, and the lawmakers behind the bill say it would make the cost of flying more transparent.

“While the DOT had good intentions, the new rule effectively reduced transparency,” said Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) ranking minority member of the House transportation committee. “Consumers haven’t been getting the whole picture of what an airline ticket pays for.”

The bill was introduced two days after a White House budget proposal included hikes in several areas that could impact the per-ticket price paid by fliers. The administration wants a $3.50 increase in the passenger facility charge, a $2 increase in the customs user fee, a $2 increase in the immigration user fee and a 40-cent increase in the TSA passenger security tax.

The Hill: An end to warrantless email searches?

By Kate Tummarello

The Hill’s Hillicon Valley Technology Blog

Legislation in the House that would end the warrantless searches of email records is gaining steam.

Privacy advocates had grown frustrated in recent months as Senate legislation that would curtail the email powers of law enforcement was thrown off track amid revelations about National Security Agency surveillance.

But they are increasingly optimistic that an update to the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) — which allows law enforcement agencies to obtain things like emails without a warrant if they have been stored electronically for more than 180 days — could see action in the House.

The Hill: Bill would eliminate federal transportation funding

A bill filed by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) would gradually eliminate federal funding of transportation projects.

The measure, which has been dubbed the Transportation Empowerment Act (TEA), would lower the gas tax that currently pays for most federal transportation projects from 18.4 cents-per-gallon to 3.7 cents in five years.

During the same time period, the bill would transfer authority over federal highways and transit programs to states and replace current congressional appropriations with block grants.

The concept, commonly referred to by transportation observers as “devolution,” is very popular with staunch conservatives who argue that development of road and transit infrastructure should be left up to states.

Opponents of the devolution proposal typically argue that the federal government is best suited to handle transportation infrastructure that runs between states, like highways.

Atlanta Business Chronicle: Progress on the port and water resources

By: Rep. Tom Graves

Georgia is poised to grow as a leader in international commerce due to our geographic location, transportation networks and innovative businesses. Industries across Georgia are a source of quality products for our country and the world. In fact, that last part — “the world” — will be the key for us in the coming years as our businesses continue growing to meet demand from the international marketplace.

So, it was good news last week when the House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). This legislation will ensure that our nation’s waterways have the infrastructure necessary to foster economic growth and help our businesses compete globally. After the long partisan slog of the last several years, particularly this fall, it was refreshing to pass a smart legislative package by a bipartisan margin of 417-3.

In a key win for Georgia, the bill authorizes over $460 million to proceed with the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP), which was deemed by President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers as “nationally and regionally significant.” Importantly, the authorization lifts an outdated cost cap that was a major federal barrier to the project’s success. As many know, we have to get this project done in order to accommodate the new fleet of supertankers that will soon begin passing through the expanded Panama Canal. Otherwise, Georgia will get left in their wake as they pass by for other ports.

Overall, the projects and reforms in the House-passed water infrastructure bill will be a boost for our economy and provide many thousands of new opportunities for those who need a job or want a new one.

Tom Graves And The New Republican Blood

Representative Tom Graves cuts an impressive figure as a small town suburban/rural Congressman. He is handsome, charismatic, thoughtful and obviously intelligent. His story is equally as impressive with a local, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps narrative, spoken in a gracious “aw shucks” kind of way. To say that I am a fan of Tom Graves is putting it lightly – I have watched his recent legislative career with a mixture of awe and admiration. It is not often you watch a politician do exactly what he says he will do, and to be able to say “That’s MY Congressman,” has been a special experience.

Congressman Graves is a constitutional conservative who extols the virtues of liberty and battles each day in the halls of Congress to preserve every American’s freedom. For his trouble he has been called a “hobbit,” a “whacko bird” and other pejoratives…by Republicans. The ire directed at him from Democrats has been even more colorful. But through it all, Congressman Graves has voted his conscience and not been swayed to water down his core principles.