Rep. Jason Smith will chair the House Committee on Ways and Means after a hotly contested three-way race that pitted the Missouri Republican against Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Adrian Smith (R-NE).
The win puts the candidate seen as Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) pick at the helm of the powerful panel. Buchanan had the support of Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA).
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The battle to replace former Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) as the top Republican on the tax-writing panel was one of the most competitive chair races, with all three lawmakers hustling for the support of members of the Steering Committee and proving themselves to be fundraising powerhouses.
Buchanan pitched members on his seniority and experience leading five of the panel’s six subcommittees, while Jason Smith touted his experience leading a standing committee, having served as the top Republican on the House Budget Committee. Adrian Smith also touted his policy chops and seniority while looking to sway members.
Adrian Smith dropped out of the race, and Buchanan faced off against Jason Smith on a second ballot. Members of the Steering Committee praised Jason Smith’s presentation before the committee.
Sources previously told the Washington Examiner that McCarthy put his thumb on the scale in favor of the Missouri Republican, though McCarthy’s office denied that he pushed for one candidate over the other.
“I want to congratulate Jason and wish him well,” Buchanan said in a statement. “We have a big agenda to fulfill and I look forward to working with him and the committee on shared priorities. This is a big loss for Florida which hasn’t had a committee chairman in five years despite being the fastest growing state with the second largest Republican delegation in the House. Florida deserves a seat at the leadership table. Our party needs to move forward and show the country that we’re ready to lead.”
Adrian Smith also extended his congratulations.
“I also thank my colleagues across the Conference who supported me every step of this race. I am humbled by their support and trust, and more determined than ever to make them proud,” he said in a statement. “No member can effectively serve without the support of our families. I can’t thank my family, especially Andrea, enough for their support and sacrifice — not just throughout this campaign, but every single day. Leaving a better America for future generations is why I do this work.”
The panel is expected to play a key role in carrying out several of the House GOP’s leading priorities, ranging from investigations to legislative goals.
Jason Smith said he would spend his chairmanship holding the Biden administration accountable.
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“It is deeply humbling and an honor to be selected by my colleagues to serve as the next Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee,” he said in a statement. “With our new House Republican majority, we have made a commitment to the American people to build a stronger economy that gives everyone — not just the wealthy and politically-connected — greater opportunity to build a more prosperous future for themselves and their families. Americans also expect us to hold the Biden Administration accountable for the crises it has caused and to once again exercise Congress’s oversight authority which has been entirely absent under one-party Democrat rule in Washington. Republicans will meet these challenges and more, head-on, every day of this Congress.”
Contested races for committees were originally slated to take place last year but were ultimately pushed back to this week due to McCarthy’s struggles to lock down the speaker’s gavel.
