With Republicans having won the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Texas Rep. Kevin Brady (R) announcing his retirement from the lower chamber, the chairmanship in the House Ways and Means Committee is vacant and Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan (R) could be in a position to head up the powerful position.
Rep. Buchanan, an Air Force veteran and successful businessman from Sarasota, Florida, has paid his dues and is considered a lock for the position.
“The announcement by Rep. Kevin Brady that he will not seek re-election is a huge loss to our party,” said Buchanan. “Kevin has been nothing short of a superstar over the past five years as Republican leader of the Ways and Means Committee. I worked side by side with Kevin and saw his critical leadership in passing the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the landmark trade deal with Canada and Mexico. It is my honor to serve as the Republican leader of the Trade Subcommittee and as past chairman of the Tax Subcommittee while these issues were under consideration. At the appropriate time, it would be an honor to be considered for the chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee when we win back the House in 2022.”
But even though Rep. Buchanan has raised millions of dollars for Republican Party causes and political committees since being elected to the U.S. Congress in 2006, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) could have an advantage due to his close relationship with presumptive Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) is also in the running to chair the Ways and Means Committee, but talk around the Capitol is that Minority Leader McCarthy is leaning towards his friend Rep. Smith, even though Buchanan is seen by many within the Republican House Caucus as the better choice.
Considering that Florida continues to be the biggest swing state in the nation, it’s been over 5 years since any congressional Republican has chaired a major committee like the House Oversight or the Ways and Means.
Buchanan’s work and leadership has not gone unnoticed, and neither has the fact that Floridians have been shunned of those aforementioned major committee chairmanships.
Ballard Partners Senior partner Syl Lukis, who worked closely with the Buchanan team raising campaign contributions during the 2022 midterm election cycle for Republican candidates, told The Floridian that Buchanan was the most “qualified” to head up Ways and Means.
“Buchanan has seniority and is the candidate most qualified. Leader McCarthy wouldn’t dare not support Florida for this Chairmanship,” said Lukis. “Florida hasn’t had a Chair in 5 years. Kevin (McCarthy) is much smarter than that.”
Lukis also pointed out that if it wasn’t for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s redrawing of the congressional redistricting maps, Republicans were able to garner 4 new seats in the House of Representatives.
“He (McCarthy) knows that if it wasn’t for Florida’s 4 new Republican members that won their respective races because of Governor DeSantis’ Congressional map bringing its total to 20— second only to Texas with at least 4 Chairs— Nancy Pelosi would likely have remained Speaker,” added Lukis.
McCarthy’s speakership is already in jeopardy thanks to Rep. Matt Gaetz and other Freedom Caucus lawmakers who believe he is a “liar” and a “lapdog” that is not fit to be Speaker.
McCarthy could win himself some much-need support and respect from Florida members if he backs Buchanan’s candidacy.
Several House Republicans, who asked that we not divulge their identities, said that backing Buchanan would go a long way with them.
One of the members went as far as to say that he would consider voting for McCarthy as Speaker of the House if he “showed Florida some love.”
