California’s Nunes seeks to lead powerful tax panel after Ryan departure

Reporting from Washington — Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) is considering a bid to lead the House’s tax-writing panel if its current chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), becomes House speaker, a source has told The Times.

Nunes, who leads the House Select Intelligence Committee, is the third member to express interest in being chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which controls tax, health and trade policies.

The second most senior member of the committee, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), and Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio) have both said they plan to seek the position if Ryan is elected speaker next week.

Using the committee’s Twitter handle, Brady tweeted Friday, “Worked closely with Chairs Camp and Ryan and see seamless transition to continue great work of @WaysandMeansGOP.”

Tiberi has said repeatedly in recent days that he’s “definitely” interested in the seat.

Nunes hasn’t publicly confirmed his interest. His spokesman, Jack Langer, said the congressman is focused on electing Ryan.

“It’d be premature right now to discuss committee slots under a potential Ryan speakership,” he said.

That time line was accelerated at the end of September when Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced he wanted to resign, and his expected successor, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), backed out of the running. After wrangling between factions of House Republicans, Ryan, who is seen by many members as a consensus candidate, officially entered the race Thursday.

Nunes and Ryan worked together on healthcare and tax policy earlier in their careers. Both he and Ryan don’t support renewal of the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency that helps finance overseas trade and sales of American goods.

Like Brady and Tiberi, Nunes, a seven-term congressman, has long been considered a potential candidate to hold the gavel when Ryan was expected to vacate the chair in 2021.

Under a rule the GOP imposed in 1994, a member can hold a committee chairmanship for up to six years. Ryan became Ways and Means chairman earlier this year so if he wasn’t running for speaker, he’d be forced to vacate the chair in 2021.

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