Chairman of the House Ways and Means Kevin Brady
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
Rep. Kevin Brady, the Texas Republican who took a leading role in pushing former President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tax-cut bill through Congress in 2017, said Wednesday he is retiring from Congress at the end of his current term.
“I’m retiring as your congressman,” Brady revealed in a speech during an economic conference hosted by the Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. “This term, my 13th, will be my last.”
Brady, 66, served as the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the top tax-writing body in the chamber, for two terms. He became the ranking Republican on the panel in 2019, after Democrats took majority control of the House.
Brady faced a term limit on his role as the Republican leader of the committee — and said that fact weighed on his decision to retire.
“Because House Republicans limit committee leadership to six years, I won’t be able to chair the Ways and Means Committee in the next session when Republicans win back the majority,” Brady said.
“Did that factor into the decision? Yeah, some.”
But Brady said that he still sees those limits as a “good thing” because they “ensure lawmakers who work hard and effectively have the opportunity to lead, to bring fresh ideas to our committee work.”
Brady, anticipating questions from those curious about his motive for retiring, also said he was “absolutely not” leaving Congress because he has “lost faith in a partisan Congress and the political system.”
“After 25 years in the nation’s Capitol I haven’t yet seen a problem we can’t solve or move past. Not one.”
He added: “Given the times, I’m sure some will say, ‘It’s Trump’s fault.’ Nonsense.”
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