Quotes from Sam Graves

Despite overwhelming support for the United States to adopt English as its official language, we have still not taken that important step.

The majority of ground in the U.S. is owned by the federal government, and right now, very little of it is accessible to anybody that is trying to produce oil and gas, and we need to be opening that up.

When we stop running up huge budget deficits and start acting responsibly in Washington, we will provide small-business owners with the certainty they need to put Americans back to work.

Competition is a powerful and essential part of this nation's economy and vital to cutting government costs.

The significance and volume of repairs that are needed across the country demand that we give state and local governments the long-term certainty they need to effectively execute these projects.

Millions of people gave their lives fighting fascism and imperialism, but Pearl Harbor was the event that forever changed the course of human history.

The best thing we can do to help small-business owners succeed is cut spending.

In order to help small businesses gain access to the credit and capital they need to run their business successfully, Congress must adopt policies that support functional capital markets without imposing undue restrictions on providers of debt and equity capital.

A P2P business is a company that creates a platform which allows individuals or 'peers' to directly buy and sell from each other. This activity has sometimes been called the 'sharing economy.' Some are wary of these new companies and the challenge they pose to the established market.

When I pick my subcommittee chairmen, I look for people that understand what it's like to run successful businesses, who know what it's like to sign the front of the check instead of the back of the check: somebody that gets it.

The fact that two-thirds of Americans who work at small businesses will see premium increases because of the health law is devastating news. This is one more in a long line of broken promises from President Obama and Washington Democrats.

The SBA should be redirected to focus on its core missions of capital access, contracting, and counseling, while reducing duplication, overlap, and wasteful spending. Doing so will greatly improve its ability to better advocate for small businesses.

It's time for some common sense from federal agencies.

Small companies need capital to invest, expand, and create jobs. And the economy needs a healthy small business community to bolster and sustain its recovery.

A long-lasting and sustained recovery will never be achieved through massive government spending programs.

Government does not create jobs, but it can help set the table for economic growth with the right policies.

By and large, small companies don't want to settle for part-time employees over full-time positions.

Although 95 percent of the world's market for products exists outside the U.S., many small firms do not have the resources and personnel to take advantage of these opportunities.

Congress can protect small businesses by providing effective oversight over SBA policies and make sure they take into account the needs of small businesses while also protecting taxpayer dollars. Congress also needs to make sure that new banking regulations do not make it more costly for community banks to lend to small businesses.

Improving small business opportunities through federal contracts creates jobs and saves taxpayer money.

It's mystifying to me why the House leadership will not allow a straight up-or-down vote on a pay raise. I vote against every pay raise because taxpayers deserve better.

We owe it to American taxpayers to make sure that contracts intended for small businesses go to small businesses.

Our priorities are out of whack. We spend too much to protect birds and fish at the expense of people.

I'm not in favor of any amnesty whatsoever.