Florida GOP Rep Vern Buchanan to retire, adding to wave of House exits

A longtime House Republican who sits on Congress’ powerful tax-writing committee is retiring after 20 years on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., announced on Tuesday that he will not be seeking re-election, ending a two-decade-long career in Washington at the age of 74.

He’s the 28th Republican to join what appears to be a mass exodus from the House of Representatives after the current term. Twenty-one House Democrats will also not seek re-election to the chamber.

Buchanan said in a statement that it was the honor of a lifetime to serve his southwest Florida congressional district.

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“Every achievement worth doing began with listening to my constituents and fighting for their priorities. 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,” Buchanan 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 spent nearly all of his time in Congress as a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, a powerful panel that oversees a variety of issues including tax policy.

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He was in contention to chair the committee after Republicans retook the House of Representatives in November 2022 but ultimately lost the gavel to current Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

Since then, Buchanan has served as the committee’s vice chair and chairman of its subcommittee on health.

Before he leaves office, he’s still likely to play a key role as Republicans in Congress eye another “big, beautiful bill” via the budget reconciliation process.

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Budget reconciliation allows the party controlling both the House and Senate to pass massive policy overhauls by dropping the Senate’s requirement for passage to be in line with the House’s own simple majority threshold.

While the first bill was a vast compilation of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises, Republicans are hoping a second round would more narrowly focus on making Americans’ lives more affordable — including tackling soaring healthcare costs.

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The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Buchanan’s district as solidly Republican, meaning it’s not likely to flip in the 2026 midterms.

But his retirement comes at a time when House Republicans are expected to face an uphill battle to keep their razor-thin majority for the latter half of Trump’s term.