WASHINGTON — A contest for the top Republican spot on the House Ways and Means Committee is already underway, more than two years before the role becomes vacant.
Nebraska Republican Rep. Adrian Smith, a 10-term lawmaker and senior committee member, has begun lobbying members of the House GOP Steering Committee for the 2029 opening. It is his second bid for the gavel.
Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois has also declared his candidacy. LaHood met with current Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) earlier this summer to announce his plans.
The committee controls tax policy, trade agreements, and major health care legislation—making its chairmanship one of the most powerful positions in the House. Chairman Jason Smith faces a term limit in 2029 under House GOP rules, and both aspirants are building support now to secure the votes they will need when the selection happens.
The House GOP Steering Committee will choose the next chairman. Adrian Smith's early outreach to its members reflects the bare-knuckle competition for top-tier committee gavels on Capitol Hill.
