William Reynolds Archer Jr. is a retired American lawyer and politician. Archer served two terms, from 1967 to 1971, in the Texas House of Representatives โ changing from the Democratic to the Republican party in 1969 โ and later represented Texas in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican for 30 years, from 1971 until 2001, serving for his last six years as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.