Garret Graves, originally of Baton Rouge, served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation’s staff since 2005. He served as a senior advisor to Senators Ted Stevens and David Vitter and as a staff director for the Climate Change and Impacts Subcommittee. Graves helped to draft offshore oil and gas revenue sharing bills and has helped to draft or negotiate every offshore oil and gas revenue sharing bill passed by the U.S. House since 1996 - including the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (providing $520 million for Louisiana over four years 2007-2010) and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (providing billions to Louisiana and other gulf states). Graves also helped to negotiate more than $20 billion in hurricane and coastal protection programs for Louisiana. Additionally, he worked to develop legislative initiatives on climate change, energy, coastal protection and management and hurricane protection.

Graves previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Billy Tauzin, then chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He advised the congressman on energy, coastal, appropriations, transportation, homeland security, environment, natural resources and hurricane protection issues. Graves worked for the congressman from 1995 to 2004, also serving as a senior staff member for the U.S. House and Energy Commerce Committee.