WASHINGTON—Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) announced on Jan. 27 that he will retire from Congress, bringing an end to a nearly two-decade career on Capitol Hill.
“I came to Congress to solve problems, to fight for working families, and to help ensure this country remains a place where opportunity is available to everyone willing to work for it,” he said. “After 20 years of service, I believe it’s the right time to pass the torch and begin a new chapter in my life.”
Buchanan serves as vice chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the chamber’s chief tax-writing panel. During his tenure, he chaired the Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee and served on the Joint Committee on Taxation, playing a key role in the development and implementation of the 2017 Trump tax cuts.
The Ways and Means Committee was also instrumental in passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025, which made those tax cuts permanent, among other provisions.
He also worked with the White House on passage of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement.
According to his office, 51 of Buchanan’s bills and legislative initiatives were signed into law during his time in Congress.
Additionally, Buchanan serves as chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, “where he has advanced bipartisan efforts to protect Medicare, expand access to care for seniors and veterans, and lower prescription drug costs,” according to his office.
Buchanan has also been a prominent advocate for animal welfare. He helped spur bipartisan legislation banning animal cruelty and torture nationwide, which was signed into law in 2019. His office described the measure as “one of the most significant federal animal-protection reforms in U.S. history.”
Buchanan is the only member of Congress to have twice received the Humane Society’s national Legislator of the Year Award.
A longtime leader within Florida’s congressional delegation, Buchanan has served as its co-chair for more than a decade. He represents Florida’s 16th Congressional District along the Gulf Coast, which includes parts of Hillsborough and Manatee counties.
Before entering public service, Buchanan was a businessman with interests in the automotive, printing, and reinsurance industries. He also chaired the Florida Chamber of Commerce and served on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
