This retreat of veteran lawmakers comes amid a broader retirement wave on the GOP side, opening opportunities on the tax-writing panels.

There is already a high-stakes scramble for seats on Congress’s two top tax-writing panels, the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Democrats are jockeying for spots on these panels, with several members aiming for promotions to Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committee.

In the House, several incumbents are stepping down or facing uncertain reelection prospects, including Lloyd Doggett, Danny Davis, and Dwight Evans, while Republicans like Vern Buchanan, Jodey Arrington, Kevin Hern, and David Schweikert may also exit.

Frontline members who can vote on tough issues are favored in Ways and Means, with incumbents representing safer districts likely to have an edge.

Strategic considerations for assignments include regional balance, gender representation, manufacturing-focused tax experience, and funding networks that influence committee bids.

Three vulnerable Democrats—Hillary Scholten, Kristen McDonald Rivet, and Emilia Sykes—are contending to fill a Midwest-heavy vacancy on the panel after Davis’s retirement, leveraging tax-credits experience relevant to their region.

The Democratic side is weighing expansions in representation by including progressive figures, with potential nominees like Greg Casar, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Morgan McGarvey, and Marilyn Strickland, while vulnerable lawmakers seek slots to shore up districts.

House Ways and Means leadership has engaged with more than a dozen Republicans vying for spots, with top contenders named as Reps. Vince Fong, Brian Jack, and Tony Wied, and selections expected after the elections.

Gender considerations are part of the discussion, with potential for multiple female chairmanships on subcommittees if Democrats win the House.

Progressives see opportunity too; a scenario where women chair four of six subcommittees on the Finance Committee is even being floated as a possibility if Democrats secure the House.

Departures from the Congressional Black Caucus among Ways and Means members could help candidates like Strickland, Amo, and Sykes by caucus influence.