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Garret Graves – People to Watch 2017

  • By David Jacobs
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct a misspelling of Rep. Garret Graves’ first name. 225 regrets the error.

GARRET GRAVES
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA

In a typical week, Rep. Garret Graves (R) spends four days in Washington, D.C.

The congressman has just been elected to his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a staffer for former Congressman Billy Tauzin and outgoing Sen. David Vitter and was the chairman of the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority under former Gov. Bobby Jindal.

A lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, he makes sure to return home for three days each week to meet (often informally) with constituents—and of course, spend time with his wife, Carissa, and their three children. garretgraves.house.gov

Click the thumbnails below to enlarge each photo in the gallery:

On improving FEMA’s efficiency following the 2016 floods:

“I think the primary problem is leadership and execution. It’s not legal problems. We’re dealing with people who FEMA is telling they’re going to get a trailer in January or February. It’s freaking winter! There is broad discretion in emergency situations, and that discretion is not being exercised in the interest of flood victims.”

On Trump’s Twitter wars and temperament:

“Donald Trump said some things that I didn’t agree with, such as comments regarding Russia, Israel and women and women’s issues. Stylistically, it’s certainly not my first preference. But it reminds me of an old boss that I had. One of the first meetings I had with him, he yelled at me. But after a few months, I realized I had to adjust my baseline. … [So] I’m trying to adjust to a different style.”

HOW TO:

Communicate with someone who doesn’t agree with you

“Instead of saying, ‘Here’s my position, and here’s why you’re wrong,’ you’ve got to meet people where they are, and then walk them from that position to how you got to the position that you’re taking and why you believe it’s the best solution. A lot of people only look at things through their own perspective. But when you’re meeting with people, it’s more important to look at it through their eyes.”

This article was originally published in the January 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.


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