Congressional Career
In 1980 McCollum was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from a district including Walt Disney World and most of Orlando. He defeated incumbent Representative Richard Kelly in the Republican primary.
While in Congress, McCollum founded the House Republican Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, chairing it for six years. He also served three terms on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, two of which as Chairman of its Subcommittee on Human Intelligence, Analysis and Counterintelligence. Additionally, McCollum served as Vice Chairman of the House Banking Committee and served on the Judiciary Committee, where he was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime.
While serving the House, McCollum was also selected for a variety of Republican leadership positions, including three terms as Vice Chairman of the House Republican Conference. McCollum voted eight times to cut Medicare, voted to raise the eligibility age for Medicare and Social Security. McCollum gained national attention as one of 15 members selected to serve on the House Committee to Investigate the Iran-Contra Affair, and, in 1998–1999, as one of the House Managers of President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. Rather than seek reelection to the House in 2000, McCollum ran unsuccessfully for an open United States Senate seat, bringing to an end his 20-year Congressional career.
McCollum ran again in 2004, seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Bob Graham. He was defeated in the Republican primary by HUD Secretary Mel Martinez, who went on to win the seat.
McCollum served as a partner with the Baker & Hostetler LLP law firm, practicing in the federal policy area. In addition to his duties as the state's chief legal officer, he serves as President and Chairman of the Healthy Florida Foundation, chartered in 2002 to find consensus on long-term solutions to the nation's health care system. He is a member of the North Florida Committee on Foreign Relations. He is also a board member of the James Madison Institute.
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