U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan is a self-made businessman, who knows what it takes to create jobs and jump-start the economy. He understands that America’s greatness comes from its entrepreneurial spirit and pro-growth, free-market policies.
Buchanan is the only Florida member of Congress to serve on the powerful House Ways & Means Committee and its two most influential Subcommittees – Health & Trade. A tireless champion for small business, Buchanan is an outspoken advocate of reforming the U.S. tax code to make it simpler, fairer and less burdensome to any would-be entrepreneur.
Realizing the urgency of putting an end to Washington’s out-of-control spending spree, the first bill Buchanan introduced in Congress in 2007 was a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. The measure simply requires the federal government to live within its means just like every family in America.
Buchanan grew up with five siblings in a blue collar household in a small town near Detroit, Michigan. He served six years in the Air National Guard and worked his way through college.
A respected leader in Florida’s business community, Buchanan chaired both the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He was also a member of the Board of the U.S. Chamber, and in 2005 he was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame.
In addition, Buchanan is a dedicated philanthropist who has committed himself to diverse community causes, including the Boys and Girls Club, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes, the American Heart Walk, the Mote Marine Laboratory, and the Ringling Museum of Art.
A husband and father, Buchanan lives in Longboat Key, Florida with his wife of more than 30 years. Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan have two grown sons, James and Matt.
