U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican who represents the Florida communities of Bradenton and Sarasota, has taken an assignment on the House Budget Committee, a panel now in the midst of debating the budget for next fiscal year.
The committee, chaired by Georgia Republican Tom Price, develops the government’s annual spending plan. On Wednesday, the panel began debating a GOP plan for fiscal 2016 spending – one that is sharply at odds with the White House’s budget blueprint and sets the stage for a conflict with the president later this year.
Buchanan is also a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful in the House. He had sat on three Ways and Means subcommittees – on health, trade and Social Security – but will drop the Social Security post to make room for his Budget Committee work.
There are two other Florida lawmakers among three dozen members of the Budget Committee: Republican Mario Diaz-Balart of South Florida and Democrat Kathy Castor of the Tampa area.
Describing his motivation for the new posting, Buchanan said in a statement: "I ran for Congress because I wanted to leave a better America for the next generation. Washington's irresponsible spending policies have created a mountain of debt for our children and grandchildren. As a businessman for over 30 years, I know what it means to balance a budget and meet a payroll. I look forward to joining Chairman Price and the other committee members as we work to grow the economy, create jobs and reduce the massive federal deficit."
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