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House GOP panel endorses Texan for Ways and Means chair
Posted On Nov 05 2015
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It looks like Houston-area Republican Congressman Kevin Brady is following in Paul Ryan’s footsteps. The full House GOP caucus is expected to approve Brady’s selection today to lead the 39-member panel. And just before the closed-door vote, Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., weighed in on Brady’s behalf.
Brady, 60, is chairman of the Health Subcommittee, so he’s already steeped in the issues around the so-called Cadillac Tax, the 40 percent levy on high-cost health insurance plans imposed under the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
Only the Appropriations committee, which control spending, rivals Ways and Means in power.
Assuming his selection is ratified Thursday, Brady would be the seventh member of Texas’ 36-member delegation, the House’s second largest, to chair a committee.
The result was decided behind closed doors by a select group of Republican lawmakers who sit on the Home GOP Steering Committee.
One Steering committee member, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., said Ryan spoke up Wednesday on Brady’s behalf.
McMichael congratulated Brady on his election, but criticized Brady’s tenure. “I will continue doing the work needed to put our country on a better path for our children and grandchildren”.
The Ways and Means panel writes tax law, handles US trade policy and deals with national social security programs and tariffs. “We’re the party of merit”. He said Brady’s seniority also likely played a role in the outcome.
In July, the Senate Finance Committee passed a package of 52 on-again, off-again tax breaks that included incentives for renewable energy.
These discussions may now get a jump-start, though, now that a new leader of the House tax-writing committee has been announced. That’s because Chairman Brady is sponsor of legislation approved by the House to not only extend the research and development (R&D) tax credit, but enhance the provision and make it permanent once and for all. “He said he thought from being on the committee that Kevin was the guy for it”, Westmoreland said.
