Jockeying Begins to Snag Coveted House Ways and Means Spots

Several lawmakers already are plotting for coveted spots on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee next Congress, seeking seats on the panel in charge of next year’s major tax legislation.

Ways and Means will play a pivotal role in next year’s tax negotiations, when much of the 2017 tax law expires and lawmakers will need to broker a deal. Ten lawmakers are weighing a bid to secure a seat on the tax panel in the next Congress. Some, like Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.), have already served on the committee, while others would bring new voices.

Some of the other Democrats interested in joining the panel, according to their offices and interviews with them, are:

• Haley Stevens of Michigan
• Andrea Salinas of Oregon
• Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania.

Some of the Republicans considering bids are:

• Rudy Yakym of Indiana
• Max Miller of Ohio
• Aaron Bean of Florida
• Nathaniel Moran of Texas
• Mike Collins of Georgia.

“Next year is going to be an important tax year and I want to have a seat at the table to shape good tax policy that’s pro-business and pro-growth,” Moran said.

Salinas, too, said her constituents are concerned about the expiring tax provisions and she wants a seat on Ways and Means to ensure that “working families” benefit.

Others potential contenders said they’re keeping options open. Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.) said that Ways and Means may be a committee she looks to join next year, noting there would be “lots of opportunities” if there’s a shift in power. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) also said he’s weighing whether he should continue gaining seniority on the House Financial Services Committee or look “elsewhere.”

New Faces

Several retirements from both sides of the aisle have opened up spots on the committee, though it’s unclear how many members will be able to join until after the election. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.), and Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) have all decided not to seek reelection. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) died in August.

Yakym and Stevens would both continue regional representation that predecessors from their states have filled.

With Kildee’s retirement, Stevens would be a voice for Michigan on the tax panel. Kildee and also retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who has been a top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, have been advocates for the state’s automakers and energy sector when crafting legislation such as the Democrats’ 2022 tax-and-climate law.

Stevens has expressed interest in joining Ways and Means, her office said. Stevens said in a statement that she’s focused on Democrats winning the House in 2024, but noted that next year will be a consequential year for tax policy and a need to carry forward Kildee’s legacy in upcoming tax negotiations.

Yakym also ran for Ways and Means last Congress, seeking to join the panel that former Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) had served on for years. Yakym won Walorski’s seat after she died in 2022.

Collins said he feels he has a “natural background” to serve on the committee, but is still weighing his options, according to his office. Salinas would continue representation from the Pacific Northwest, a hole left by Blumenauer’s retirement.

Coming Back

Plaskett was on the panel last Congress, but was one of a handful of members cut due to seniority in the current lineup as Democrats lost seats on the panel when they became the minority. Boyle of Pennsylvania also left the panel at that time, but is still accruing seniority while he serves as the ranking member of the House Budget Committee.

Suozzi was also previously on Ways and Means, though he left Congress to run for governor.

Plaskett has fought for increase in the cap for rum excise tax revenue that’s transferred to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico coffers, known as the rum cover-over. Suozzi is a fierce advocate for getting rid of the state-and-local tax deduction cap, and led an effort in 2019 for the House to pass legislation raising the $10,000 limit.

Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) also ran for a Ways and Means spot last Congress but failed to get on the committee, like Yakym. This time around, though, Timmons said he’s not focused on committee assignments yet.

“Right now we’re just working on the majority,” he said.