Vern Buchanan is a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, representing
Florida's 16th congressional district. He assumed office in 2007.
After graduating from high school, Vern served for six years in the Michigan Air National
Guard. He received a BBA from Cleary University and an MBA from the University of
Detroit.
Buchanan is a businessman and owns several auto dealerships in Florida. He also
reported interests in fifty other businesses, including offshore reinsurance companies and a
charter-jet business. His net worth is over $100 million. The IRS sued Buchanan, his
business partner, and Merrill Lynch for violating the Michigan Corporation Act. It ended with
Buchanan paying $1.5 million.
Buchanan voted to increase spending on the war on terror. He voted for the Trump tax cuts
for the wealthy in 2017 and is directly benefiting from the loophole that lowers the tax rate
on pass-through income from real estate. He supported Trump’s executive order to bar
citizens of Muslim-majority countries from the U.S. and supported barring federal funding to
sanctuary cities. He is pro-life and "a strong defender of the Second Amendment. He voted
to expand gun rights, including enabling concealed carry reciprocity among States.
Buchanan voted in favor of allowing veterans who are considered "mentally incompetent"
to purchase ammunition and firearms unless declared a danger by a judge.
Buchanan lives in Longboat Key, Florida with his wife, Sandy, whom he met while in
college. They have two sons, one of whom was elected to the Florida State House in 2018.
