OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
10:30 AM – Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Florida GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the lead Republican sponsor of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, announced on Tuesday that he will not seek re-election this year.
Often described as a national policy “architect,” Buchanan has built that reputation as the Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which wields sweeping authority over tax, trade, and health policy.
His departure at the end of his current term will conclude a 20-year career in the House of Representatives, where he stands as the longest-serving Republican to represent Southwest Florida.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the 74-year-old congressman characterized his decision as a natural decision to a two-decade chapter of public service.
“Serving the people of Southwest Florida has been the honor of my lifetime,” Buchanan (R-Fla.) 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, a self-made businessman and former chairman of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, entered Congress in 2007.
Over the next 20 years, he established himself as a prolific legislator, seeing 51 of his bills and initiatives signed into law by four different presidents in both parties: George W. Bush (GOP), Barack Obama (Democrat), Donald Trump (GOP), and Joe Biden (Democrat).
As the current Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, Buchanan wielded significant influence over the nation’s purse strings and healthcare systems.
Notable legislative highlights of his include:
- Tax Reform: Played a central role in developing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was the most significant overhaul of the U.S. tax code in over three decades. Signed into law by President Trump, it fundamentally changed how both individuals and corporations are taxed — aiming to make the U.S. more competitive globally and encourage businesses to keep their operations, and cash, on domestic soil.
- Trade: Worked directly with the White House to negotiate and pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This was the massive trade deal that replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Often referred to as “NAFTA 2.0,” it went into effect on July 1, 2020, after being negotiated by the first Trump administration. The GOP liked that the deal maintained free trade with America’s two top partners while adding “America First” protections for sectors like steel, aluminum, and autos.
- Veterans affairs: Secured nearly $28 million for the national veterans cemetery in Sarasota and championed the Veterans Identification Card Act – a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to give all honorably discharged veterans a convenient way to prove their military service without having to carry around sensitive discharge papers.
- Animal welfare: Authored the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, making malicious animal cruelty a federal felony. This was a landmark bipartisan bill signed into law by President Trump in November 2019. It was significant because it made extreme forms of animal cruelty a federal felony for the first time in U.S. history. It is now a federal crime to purposely crush, burn, drown, suffocate, impale, or otherwise subject “non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians” to serious bodily injury.
Buchanan’s retirement announcement reportedly came as a surprise to many of his supporters, given that he received a formal endorsement for re-election from President Donald Trump just three months ago in November 2025. However, other conservative critics of Buchanan have praised the departure announcement while labeling him a “R.I.N.O” (Republican In Name Only).
Florida is currently preparing to redraw its congressional maps, a process that could shift the boundaries of the Bradenton-anchored district. Despite the potential for a map shake-up, the open seat is expected to trigger a high-stakes Republican primary.
Buchanan’s departure makes him one of roughly 27 House Republicans who have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026, and he will remain in office through January 2027.
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