U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., the only member of the Florida congressional delegation on the U.S. Ways and Means Committee, was named the chairman of the U.S. House Human Resources Subcommittee on Wednesday, giving him a large seat at the table on federal welfare.
Buchanan takes the subcommittee chairmanship as part of the shuffle as new U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., gave up the Ways and Means chairmanship to assume his current position. Ryan was chosen to lead Congress last month, replacing former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
On Wednesday, Buchanan turned his attention to welfare programs as the subcommittee oversees programs that saw $129 billion in federal spending back in 2014.
“As the new chairman, I look forward to working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to make sure our nation’s welfare laws and safety net truly help those in need without trapping them in a cycle of poverty,” Buchanan said.
The Florida congressman noted that Ryan has opened the door to welfare reform and noted that the subcommittee played an important role in reforming welfare back in 1996, including launching Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF).
Buchanan also showcased his new assignment’s role presiding over the Supplemental Security Income program which helps more than 560,000 Floridians, including seniors, the disabled and the blind.
First elected to Congress in 2006, Buchanan serves on both the Ways and Means and the Budget Committees. Before his time in politics, Buchanan was in the private sector and led the business community, including chairing the Florida Chamber of Commerce and sitting on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Buchanan had garnered some buzz as a possible U.S. Senate candidate in 2016 but he closed the door on entering the race.
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