Vern Buchanan

Conservative

Republican

House Representative

Florida - District 16

Current Position: US House Representative FL-16

Policy Positions

For the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which lowered corporate and individual tax rates
For a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget

For reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses, as reflected in his support for H.R. 527 requiring agencies to account for regulatory effects on small businesses

Against the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, which expanded VA benefits to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during military service

For animal welfare protections, including banning the dog and cat meat trade, making animal cruelty a federal felony (PACT Act), banning horse slaughter and live export of horses for slaughter, and opposing the EATS Act that would have overturned California's farm animal welfare law (Proposition 12)

Against the Equality Act, which would extend federal civil rights protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity

For Trump's 2017 executive order barring entry to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and for barring federal funding to sanctuary cities
For requiring all foreign terrorism suspects to be tried in military tribunals rather than civilian courts, as proposed in his Military Tribunals for Terrorists Act
For free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea

For gun rights; self-identifies as a strong defender of the Second Amendment, NRA Life Member, and gun owner/hunter; generally holds a pro-gun voting record, though supported some limited regulations such as restricting bump stocks after the Las Vegas shooting and joined a small group of Republicans voting for the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, but voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022
For stricter penalties on opioid 'pill mills' and increased restrictions on obtaining hydrocodone drugs, as reflected in his co-sponsorship of the Pill Mill Crackdown Act of 2011