Career
He is currently Vice Chairman of the Corrections and Consumer Affairs committees. Brattin was raised in Greenwood, Missouri. He is a graduate of Lee"s Summit High School.
After the September 11 attacks, he joined the United States Marine Corps.
He rose through the ranks and became a sergeant after 6 years. In 2013, Brattin sponsored legislation that would afford equal treatment in textbooks for intelligent design and evolution
In December 2014, Brattin proposed legislation that would require women seeking abortions in Missouri to obtain written consent from the father of the fetus, except in cases of "legitimate rape." Brattin cited his own recent vasectomy as his inspiration for the legislation.
In February 2015, Brattin introduced Missouri House Bill 813, reading "A recipient of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits shall not use such benefits to purchase cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood, or steak."
Brattin sponsored the bill in part because he believed the benefits were excessive. Using a personal example, he explained that he would receive $1,000 per month if his family of seven qualified for the program
“I couldn’t dream of spending that much money per month,” he explained.
“I would have to just go through and just start throwing stuff in the cart.” Under his example, each of his family members would be limited to $4.69 of food per day, a feat many consider impossible. Brattin also failed to mention that the overwhelming majority of food stamp recipients do not receive the maximum amount. A single mother of two making $18,000 a year would only qualify for around $300 a month in food stamp assistance in Missouri, far lower than Brattin"s "zero income" example.
