Brady to Assume Ways and Means Chairmanship

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) was chosen to replace Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee on November 4. Ryan stepped down as Chairman after he was elected Speaker of the House. Brady defeated Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio) in a closed-door vote of the GOP Steering Committee, and the decision was then ratified by the full House Republican Conference. Brady is a ten term congressman and held seniority over Tiberi. Brady received the support of Paul Ryan in the vote for Chairman just before the vote took place, a key step in his victory. As Speaker, Ryan controlled five of the Panel's 38 votes, while Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) submitted two votes. McCarthy declined to say who he cast his votes for. On November 18, the GOP Steering Committee then elected Tiberi to chair the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, filling Brady's former position.

The Ways and Means Committee is the powerful congressional tax-writing committee, and has jurisdiction over trade, health care, and Social Security. While Health Subcommittee Chairman, Brady helped repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) through passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and began working on a hospital payment reform package and a post-acute care value-based purchasing pilot. The hospital reform package would expand Medicare Advantage, and proposed giving seniors a set amount of money to purchase health insurance coverage. It would also combine Medicare Part A and Part B.

Brady has pledged to pursue tax reform in his time leading the Committee.