Summary
The Committee on Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. The Committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other programs including Social Security, unemployment benefits, Medicare, the enforcement of child support laws, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and foster care and adoption programs.
Subcommittees:
- Health
- Oversight
- Select Revenue Measures
- Social Security
- Trade
- Worker and Family Support
Chair: Jason T. Smith, Missouri
Ranking Member: Richard Neal, Massachusetts
Majority Staff Director: Patrick Dumas
Minority Staff Director: Brandon Casey
Meeting Location: 1139 Longworth HOB, Washington D.C. 20515; (202) 225-3625
Featured Video: Oversight Subcommittee Hearing on Expanding Housing Access to All Americans – July 14, 2021
Web Links
OnAir Post: Ways and Means Committee
News
Press Releases and news can be found here at the committee website.
The House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday is holding its fourth and final day of the markup of its portions of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending package.
Lawmakers are expected to vote to advance a large section of the bill that includes infrastructure financing tax preferences, renewable energy tax incentives, health-care provisions, tax credits for low- and middle-income families, and tax increases on high-income individuals and corporations.
Keep checking this page for updates on the markup, which starts at 9 a.m.
Neal says he’s discussing tax-enforcement proposals with administration
2:16 p.m.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said he’s been having discussions with the Biden administration over proposals to increase the amount of information third parties report to the IRS in an effort to strengthen tax enforcement.
About
Jurisdiction
The U.S. Constitution requires that all bills regarding taxation must originate in the House of Representatives. The Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party’s congressional leadership. The Committee has jurisdiction over all taxation, tariffs, and other revenue-raising measures, as well as a number of other programs including:
- Social Security
- Unemployment insurance
- Medicare
- Enforcement of child support laws
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Foster care and adoption programs
Source: Committee website
Members
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair:
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member:
Contact
Locations
Ways and Means Committee Democrats
U.S. House of Representatives
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3625
Fax: (202) 225-5680
Web Links
- Government Site
- Minority Website
- Congress.Gov
- House Telephone Directory
- OnAir Post: Ways and Means Committee
- Chair, Jason T. Smith
- Ranking Member, Richard Neal
- Wikipedia
- YouTube
Legislation
Markups
Source: Committee website
Hearings
Source: Committee website
Subcommittees
Health
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Health includes bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to programs providing payments (from any source) for health care, health delivery systems, or health research. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Health includes bills and matters that relate to the health care programs of the Social Security Act (including titles V, XI (Part B), XVIII, and XIX thereof) and, concurrent with the full Committee, tax credit and deduction provisions of the Internal Revenue Code dealing with health insurance premiums and health care costs.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Adrian Smith (NE)
Mike Kelly (PA)
Brad Wenstrup (OH)
Greg Murphy (NC)
Kevin Hern (OK)
Carol Miller (WV)
Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)
Claudia Tenney (NY)
Blake Moore (UT)
Michelle Steel (CA)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Lloyd Doggett (D–TX)
Mike Thompson (CA)
Earl Blumenauer (OR)
Brian Higgins (NY)
Terri Sewell (AL)
Judy Chu (CA)
Dwight Evans (PA)
Danny Davis (IL)
Oversight
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Oversight shall include all matters within the scope of the full Committee’s jurisdiction but shall be limited to existing law. Said oversight jurisdiction shall not be exclusive but shall be concurrent with that of the other Subcommittees. With respect to matters involving the Internal Revenue Code and other revenue issues, said concurrent jurisdiction shall be shared with the full Committee. Before undertaking any investigation or hearing, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight shall confer with the Chairman of the full Committee and the Chairman of any other Subcommittee having jurisdiction.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: David Schweikert (R-AZ)
Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)
Greg Steube (FL)
Claudia Tenney (NY)
Michelle Fischbach (MN)
Beth Van Duyne (TX)
Randy Feenstra (IA)
Nicole Malli
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
Judy Chu (CA)
Brad Schneider (IL)
Suzan DelBene (WA)
Gwen Moore (WI)
Tax
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Tax Policy shall consist of those revenue measures that, from time to time, shall be referred to it specifically by the Chairman of the full Committee.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Mike Kelly (R-PA)
David Schweikert (AZ)
Jodey Arrington (TX)
Drew Ferguson (GA)
Kevin Hern (OK)
Ron Estes (KS)
Lloyd Smucker (PA)
David Kustoff (TN)
Beth Van Duyne (TX)
Randy Feenstra (IA)
Nicole Malliotakis (NY)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Lloyd Doggett (TX)
John Larson (CT)
Linda Sanchez (CA)
Suzan DelBene (WA)
Gwen Moore (WI)
Don Beyer (VA)
Brad Schneider (IL)
Social Security
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Social Security shall include bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to the Federal Old-Age, Survivors’ and Disability Insurance System, the Railroad Retirement System, and employment taxes and trust fund operations relating to those systems. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Social Security shall include bills and matters involving title II of the Social Security Act and Chapter 22 of the Internal Revenue Code (the Railroad Retirement Tax Act), as well as provisions in title VII and title XI of the Act relating to procedure and administration involving the Old-Age, Survivors’ and Disability Insurance System.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Drew Ferguson (R-GA)
Mike Carey (OH)
David Schweikert (AZ)
Ron Estes (KS)
Blake Moore (UT)
Randy Feenstra (IA)
Greg Steube (FL)
David Kustoff (TN)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: John B. Larson (D-CT)
Bill Pascrell (NJ)
Linda Sanchez (CA)
Brian Higgins (NY)
Dan Kildee (MI)
Trade
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Trade shall include bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to customs and customs administration including tariff and import fee structure, classification, valuation of and special rules applying to imports, and special tariff provisions and procedures which relate to customs operation affecting exports and imports; import trade matters, including import impact, industry relief from injurious imports, adjustment assistance and programs to encourage competitive responses to imports, unfair import practices including anti-dumping and countervailing duty provisions, and import policy which relates to dependence on foreign sources of supply; commodity agreements and reciprocal trade agreements including multilateral and bilateral trade negotiations and implementation of agreements involving tariff and non-tariff trade barriers to and distortions of international trade; international rules, organizations and institutional aspects of international trade agreements; budget authorizations for the customs revenue functions of the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the U.S. Trade Representative; and special trade-related problems involving market access, competitive conditions of specific industries, export policy and promotion, access to materials in short supply, bilateral trade relations including trade with developing countries, operations of multinational corporations, and trade with non-market economies.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Vern Buchanan (FL)
Darin LaHood (IL)
Jodey Arrington (TX)
Ron Estes (KS)
Carol Miller (WV)
Lloyd Smucker (PA)
Greg Murphy (NC)
Greg Steube (FL)
Michelle Fischbach (MN)
David Kustoff (TN)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Brian Higgins (NY)
Dan Kildee (MI)
Jimmy Panetta (CA)
Suzan DelBene (WA)
Don Beyer (VA)
Linda Sanchez (CA)
Terri Sewell (AL)
Worker and Welfare
Source: Committee Website
Jurisdiction
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare shall include bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to the public assistance provisions of the Social Security Act, including temporary assistance for needy families, child care, child and family services, child support, foster care, adoption, supplemental security income, social services, eligibility of welfare recipients for food stamps, and low-income energy assistance. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare shall include bills and matters relating to titles I, IV, VI, X, XIV, XVI, XVII, XX and related provisions of titles VII and XI of the Social Security Act.
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare shall also include bills and matters referred to the Committee on Ways and Means that relate to the Federal-State system of unemployment compensation, and the financing thereof, including the programs for extended and emergency benefits. More specifically, the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Work and Welfare shall also include all bills and matters pertaining to the programs of unemployment compensation under titles III, IX and XII of the Social Security Act, Chapters 23 and 23A of the Internal Revenue Code, and the Federal-State Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 1970, and provisions relating thereto.
Republican Members (Majority)
Chair: Darin LaHood (R-IL)
Brad Wenstrup (OH)
Mike Carey (OH)
Blake Moore (UT)
Michelle Steel (CA)
Lloyd Smucker (PA)
Adrian Smith (NE)
Claudia Tenney (NY)
Democratic Members (Minority)
Ranking Member: Danny K. Davis (D–IL)
Judy Chu (CA)
Gwen Moore (WI)
Dwight Evans (PA)
Terri Sewell (AL)
More Information
Campaign Finance
Source: Open Secrets webpages
