Rep. Vern Buchanan named chairman of Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee

Rep. Vern Buchanan has been appointed chairman of a House subcommittee he said will be at the center of debate over reforming the nation's welfare system.

Buchanan will lead the Ways and Means Committee's Human Resources Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over federal assistance for families, children, the disabled and unemployed.

"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 in a news release, noting Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has made welfare reform one of his top priorities in Congress.

The chairmanship opening was created when Ryan left the committee to become speaker, thereby altering the Ways and Means Committee seniority structure.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the federal government spent $129 billion on 2014 programs overseen by Buchanan's subcommittee to help needy families, children and the disabled. These programs will account for $1.4 trillion in spending over the next decade.

The last major reform of these programs occurred in 1996, an effort led by the Human Resources Subcommittee.

The subcommittee has been at the forefront of a number of other issues important to Florida. Its jurisdiction over the Supplemental Security Income program, according to Buchanan, will allow him to ensure the program continues to benefit 561,000 aged, blind and disabled Floridians, including 185,000 seniors.

Buchanan has served on the House Ways and Means Committee since January 2011. His appointment as subcommittee chairman marks the first time a Floridian has led a Ways & Means Subcommittee since Rep. Clay Shaw chaired the Trade Subcommittee for the 109th Congress (2005-06).

Buchanan is Florida's only member on Ways and Means, widely considered the most powerful committee in Congress because of its broad jurisdiction, including taxes, Social Security, Medicare, welfare programs and international trade.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Rep. Vern Buchanan named chairman of Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee ."