- Five House Republicans plan to vote together in a bloc that could derail President-elect Donald Trump’s signature tax bill unless they get concessions on the current cap on state and local tax deductions.
- GOP Rep. Nick LaLota, of New York, told CNBC that doubling the SALT cap to $20,000 would be a “laughable” proposal.
- The SALT cap debate divides Republicans because lifting the limit is expensive and because it would largely benefit high-income households.
"...As negotiations over a major tax cuts bill get underway, they are also drawing a firm line: Simply doubling the maximum allowed deduction from the current $10,000 cap to $20,000, they say, is not enough.
“The $20,000 is a nonstarter,” Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., told CNBC. “It’s almost laughable. It’s way too low to earn our vote.”
LaLota is one of 16 members of a congressional state and local tax, or SALT, caucus who attended a recent meeting with Trump at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. There, Trump promised the lawmakers that he would back their efforts to raise the SALT cap and told them to get back to him with a number that would ensure their support for his broader tax package, according to LaLota and his fellow New York GOP Rep. Andrew Garbarino.
The group plans to use House Republicans’ narrow, four-seat majority to increase its own leverage.
Specifically, LaLota is part of a bloc of five Republican House members who plan to stick together and oppose any broader Trump tax cut package unless it contains significant changes to the current SALT cap provisions.
Rounding out this group are Reps. Mike Lawler, of New York, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., of New Jersey, and Rep. Young Kim, of California, according to LaLota and Garbarino. ..."
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