November 12, 2010 Graves Heads GA Caucus

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by	Russ Niles
	Editor-in-Chief

Missouri Republican Rep. Sam Graves will take over as chairman of the GA Caucus when current chairman Vern Ehlers, R-Mich., retires at the end of his term. Ehlers announced his retirement earlier this year and announced Graves as his replacement during an interview with AOPA at AOPA Summit in Long Beach Friday. The caucus is only a year old but is one of the largest on Capitol Hill and now includes more than 100 members.

Graves is a longtime pilot and comments frequently on aviation issues. AOPA President Craig Fuller said the choice is a good one. "Rep. Sam Graves is a longtime supporter of and vocal advocate for general aviation among his congressional colleagues," said Fuller. "We believe he is an excellent choice to succeed Congressman Vern Ehlers as the Republican co-chair of the House General Aviation Caucus." Top priority for the caucus is pushing passage of a proper funding bill for the FAA.