Garret Graves served in the U.S. House of Representatives representing south Louisiana from 2015-2025. During this time, he led numerous reforms on infrastructure, energy, disaster, resiliency, environmental and other areas and was ranked one of the most effective lawmakers in the House. Congressman Graves chaired the Elected Leadership Committee, comprised of the Speaker of the House, Majority Leader, Majority Whip and other leadership positions and served as chair of both the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and the Aviation Subcommittee – shepherding major bipartisan reforms. In his final term, Graves was credited with negotiating solutions to the stalemate for Speaker of the House, the largest spending reduction in American history, the first major streamlining of environmental laws and eliminating a 40-year old cut to Social Security benefits.
Prior to Congress, Graves was a private consultant and was tapped to lead a $20 billion effort for the State of Louisiana to rebuild levees and coastal wetlands following Hurricane Katrina. In this effort, he reorganized portions of five state agencies and established a new coastal agency with the lowest overhead rate in state government. Graves led efforts in the Deepwater Horizon disaster negotiation that resulted in the largest settlement in U.S. history from a single company.
He also served on the staffs of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee and U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committees and personal offices.