Scenes From an Interview

Congressman Vern Buchanan on Policy, Progress and Finding Common Ground 
by Gus Mollasis

Politics is a nasty business, filled with personal attack ads, gridlock and even not-so-real or complete news. Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” In these highly polarizing and divisive political times, a tweet can go around the world before a truth or half-truth can put on its pants. Nobody knows this better than Congressman Vern Buchanan, who faces re-election this fall for the congressional seat he has held since 2007 representing Florida’s 16th congressional district.

Buchanan, who comes from a modest blue-collar Michigan background, is the embodiment of the American dream. He started his professional life selling cars, successfully building both automobile dealerships and a printing business. Today, Buchanan finds himself trying to build a consensus in Congress, a feat nothing short of miraculous. He’s tenacious because he believes there is far more that connects us than divides us.

This Republican congressman does not concern himself with a potential “blue tide” in the upcoming House election races. He is much more concerned with the devastating “red tide” that plagues our area beaches, our delicate ecological balance and the region’s economic well-being, issues that Buchanan feels everyone can agree on in terms of saving and protecting our natural resources and restoring the beauty that makes this area a favorite for tourists.

If it is true that all politics are local, it is this hometown brand of politics, his pragmatism and background as a successful businessman that Buchanan says help him work along bipartisan lines in his quest to advance Florida priorities. At the top of his list are reducing tax and regulatory burdens on small businesses, creating jobs, protecting Social Security for seniors, strengthening education to ensure America’s future, and advocating for veterans and military families. It’s a long to-do list for sure, but something he looks forward to attacking if elected to another term in November.

I recently sat down with Congressman Buchanan in his Sarasota office to chat with him about things the that keep him up at night, the issues that get his blood boiling and those where compromise is possible as we looked at some scenes from an interview of his life.

What has surprised you the most about your time serving as a congressman in Washington?

First, I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve. I’ve always considered myself a blue-collar kid. I tell people that I’m a representative – I represent them. The biggest issue is the unbelievable amount of dysfunction that comes out of Washington. People ask me why Democrats and Republicans can’t find a way to work together. I’m in a position now as the co-chair of the delegation for Florida, the third largest delegation in the country with 29 members (including two senators), to try to find common ground. We try to find ways that we can work together on veterans’ issues, flood insurance, and citrus greening. As Americans, what we need to do is figure out how to focus and work together and find things that we can agree on and find a way to do things that are in the best interest of the people we represent.

“Nothing is impossible if we work together.” Is that your mantra?

Yes, pretty much. My belief is that if we work together we can accomplish a lot. We have a lot of talent in this country, a lot of potential, but we can get a lot more done together – and we have. You only hear about the things that don’t work, but we have been able to get quite a bit done. There are many things for which I’ve led the effort. Together with Democrat Alcee Hastings of the Fort Lauderdale area, who serves as co-chair with me of Florida’s Congressional delegation, we’ve brought the delegation together to get things done for veterans and on citrus issues.

How do you think we’re doing as a country?

As a country, there has been a lot of progress. We have the lowest unemployment level since 1969. I think we’re going to see a lot of paychecks going up. One of the biggest challenges businesses have is finding people; as a commodity, scarcity usually drives wages up. We’re growing faster than at any time in the last 15 years with 4.2 GDP for the last quarter. During the past administration, we had some of the slowest growth over the last 50 years. The NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business), which represents small businesses across the country, recently came out with its index, and it’s the most enthusiastic that they’ve ever been in terms of expectation of small businesses looking toward the future.

What’s the biggest thing you’d like to get done for your constituents if you’re reelected in November?

I think the biggest issue right now is red tide. I’ve been on the board at Mote Marine for a lot of years, and I just chaired a bill that got passed, giving $8 million to Mote Marine and other organizations so that they can identify the best ways to minimize red tide. Our coast is plagued by the challenge of red tide, but also Lake Okeechobee affects the East coast probably a little more than our coast, but it does affect us. So it’s a statewide water quality issue and we must do what is right regardless of anybody’s interests. It impacts Florida’s tourism, jobs, small businesses, and it has health-related issues. That will be the biggest thing that I will lead and champion, along with the drug issues. Out of 67 counties, Manatee County is the worst per capita in the state with regard to opioid addiction. Now heroin. I’m working with the Governor and the committees in Washington to get the dollars they need. On these issues, we can 100 percent agree on working together as Democrats and Republicans. Sometimes during an election season, a lot of things get said and it can be contentious, but after the election is over we’ll have a meeting of the delegation and we’ll be identifying the top issues. Red tide will be at the top of it as well as opioid use.

Besides red tide and opioids, what other issues are at the top of your list?

The growth of our economy. We’ve had slow growth over the last 10 years and a GDP of only 1 to 1.5 percent. I’m on the House Ways and Means Committee. The recent tax reform has made and will continue to make a big difference. For our area, that’s about $2300 for a family of four. There is a lot of misinformation out there, but the truth is for the next eight years or so, families of four are going to get about $2300 more in their paychecks. And we’ve been able to cut the tax burden on small businesses, helping job growth and business optimism. We’ve also tried to reduce regulations for small businesses.

As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, how have the recent tax cuts and reduction of regulations impacted our strong recent economic numbers?

It’s big. Very big. A lot of it is the expectation game. People see that they’re going to have more money in their paycheck. Businesses are seeing that they have more money to work with. People are very optimistic. We were losing a lot of larger companies overseas to what they call corporate inversions. We had the highest corporate rate in the world. When you look at the tax code from the top to the bottom, it’s making a big difference and that’s why we’re seeing growth. And over the last year and half, the stock market has been up over 50 percent. Everybody’s seeing it who wants to see it.

In your life as a private citizen, businessman or politician, do you ever remember Washington being so divided and the rhetoric being so divisive?

I think in terms of Washington it’s too divided, especially right now. It’s as bad as I’ve seen it as long as I’ve been there. On the other hand, I feel good about what I’ve been able to do as co-chair with Alcee Hastings of the Florida Congressional delegation – a Democrat and Republican working together. We’ve had some good luck getting things done for our industries and fighting for issues that are important to the people of Florida.

What do you do to combat the division and get things done?

The bottom line is we still need 60 votes in the Senate. But if we can have a strong showing for a vote in the House, my goal is to work together, get every Democrat and Republican together in Florida so that we can bring that weight to Congress as a whole. We’re the third largest population with a large delegation, so if we can come together we can get things done. For example, on citrus greening, the bill I got will provide more capital because they’ve lost so much of their crops to disease and hurricanes, which have wiped out a lot of that industry in Florida.

How do you define the Trump era, and what is it like working with him?

From my mindset, when I can agree with the President I will, and in the areas that I don’t agree with him, I’ll make that point. For example, offshore drilling. I’ve led that effort and I’ve been a champion on stronger regulations as long as I’ve been in Congress and have been a critic of the President’s stance. On the Paris Climate Accord, when the President wanted to pull out of that, I strongly stated that I thought it was the wrong direction to go. So I’ll hold him accountable. If there are things that make sense, I’ll be with him on it, and for things that don’t make sense for my constituents or for Florida, I will take a strong position.

You are considered by many to be a bipartisan champion. How so?

If you look over the last ten to twelve years, outside agencies have named me as one of the most bipartisan as well as one of the most effective members of Congress. I’m kind of the go-to guy on bipartisan legislation. If you can’t seek some common ground, you aren’t going to get things done, and our goal is to get things done.

As a businessman, you probably weren’t too shocked to see President Trump’s businessman’s approach to getting things done.

I was in business for 30 years, and to me it was always about the enterprise being successful. In Congress, I feel it’s the same way; the enterprise is America and its people. Nothing has changed for me the way I approach Washington. Washington is always about the next election and that’s unfortunate, but I’m up there trying to make the difference on issues that matter to our community. I tell people I represent you and that’s what I try to do — represent this community the best I can.

In the next decade, what is the biggest threat to America in terms of our quality of life and freedoms?

You need a strong country, strong economy, well-paying jobs, and that’s the focus that we need to stay on – helping businesses become and stay more successful. If you don’t have a strong economy and country, you’re not going to have a strong military. Our number one obligation for Congress is keeping people safe. And you keep people safe by being strong. My focus is on growing the economy; 95% of the marketplace is outside of the US. One in five jobs in Florida are trade-related. We have 14 ports here, so we have to find a way that we can export more of our products overseas. That’s why it’s important to build those relationships with our friends like Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia, and the best way to build them is through commerce and trade.

When you return home to Florida, how much of an eye-opening and learning experience is it for you away from what some people call the “Washington bubble”?

When I got to Congress, my focus was small business and jobs and veterans’ issues. The reality of the job is that issues come up, like the opioid crisis and red tide. We’ve always had red tide, but it’s as severe as I’ve ever seen it. It’s been claimed that 100 tons of dead fish have been taken off the beaches. We have to double our efforts. I’ll be meeting with Mote Marine scientists to see where we are, what more we can do and what we should be doing. My job is to make sure we’re doing everything we can to make sure that they have the resources to minimize the impact. They’re experimenting with new technologies on how to take the red tide out of the water. We have to all come together to get results, because quality air and beaches are a big asset to Florida communities.   

Finish the following sentences:
A good citizen is one who…
…votes and stays active in the community.

A good congressman or congresswoman is one who…
…is focused on their constituency and doing what is right by them.

When someone votes for me I will always…
…earn their vote and do everything I can to listen to their thoughts and needs and do the best I can to fight for their issues in Washington.

The Constitution is…
…a defining document for the United States. It’s the reason we’ve had a lot of success on many fronts over the years. A very inspired and inspiring document.

America to me is a…
…land of opportunity, where a blue-collar kid could grow up with nothing and become anything he wanted. It has unlimited possibilities in terms of the American Dream and that’s what I want to fight for so that the American Dream is not there just for my kids, but for everybody’s kids and for my four grandkids.

Being a Michigan kid myself, I know a lot of the same streets you traveled down. Do you kind of pinch yourself about your journey?

Cherry Hill, Inkster, Middle Belt Road and Telegraph Road. (Smiles) I used to race cars on Telegraph. Yeah, who would have guessed that from a blue-collar family – one of six kids – that I would be sitting across the desk from the President of the United States, whether it was the last President or this President? I built two big companies; who would have ever thought that was possible? But I do believe in the American Dream and I believe if you work hard, play by the rules, anything is possible in America. It did my heart good, seeing an African-American elected President of the United States. It said to me that anything is possible. It said to the African-American community that anything is possible in America if you work hard.

Tell us about your wife, Sandy.

Sandy is the spiritual rock in our family. That makes a big difference. My wife has always been about the family and having a big impact in that area. She keeps us all grounded.

Your son James is running for a seat in South County. What kind of fatherly advice have you given him?

I have two sons, and I’ve always told them to find something that they’re passionate about. James is passionate about public service, and frankly I’m surprised that with all the stuff that one has to deal with, he’d be interested in running, but at the same time I think he’ll do a great job because he’ll go up there for all the right reasons.

What are your biggest concerns for your district and the great state of Florida?

Many years ago, when I was head of the Chamber of Commerce in Sarasota, our area was voted by Money Magazine as the best to live and work in the United States. That’s still my focus. I think this area is the best place in the United States, and I want to continue to fight so that it remains that way. We can’t bury our head in the sand, we have to fight red tide, opioids and other issues that come up while at the same time focusing on growing our economy.

Are America’s and Florida’s best days ahead of us?

Totally. One hundred percent. But we have to work together as a community and set our differences aside and find the solutions that we can agree on.

Why should people re-elect Vern Buchanan?

I believe that I’m a person who listens. I’ve done more town halls than anybody else. I’ve been effective in getting things done. I’m very bipartisan and I think that’s the mindset that we need to have up there. Humbly, I’d say I’m on the most powerful committee in Washington which does Medicare, Social Security, Health Care, Taxes and Trade – all the big issues that flow out of the committee – and I’m in a good position to do even more going forward.

Congressman Vern Buchanan is opposed by Sarasota attorney David Shapiro in the November 6 election for United State Representative District 16. For more information on Congressman Buchanan, visit VernBuchanan.com. For information on David Shapiro, visit voteshapiro2018.com. For voting information, visit sarasotavotes.com.