Rep. Mike Lawler Says He's a 'Hard No' on GOP Tax Bill Over SALT Limit

Two New York Republican lawmakers promised to block their party’s signature tax legislation unless GOP leaders raise a proposed $30,000 limit on the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes.

Their public declarations on Monday shortly after House Republicans released a draft version of their tax bill underscores the difficulty party leaders will have securing passage as lawmakers from high-tax states demand greater increases in the SALT limit, politically vulnerable Republicans chafe at Medicaid cuts and fiscal conservatives press for more spending reductions.

Representative Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, called the proposed SALT limit “woefully inadequate” and said in a Bloomberg Television interview he is a “hard no” on the legislation unless the cap is increased.

Nick LaLota, another New York Republican, said he was “insulted” by the limit and would be a “hell no” vote against it.

Three other Republicans — New York’s Andrew Garbarino and Elise Stefanik and Young Kim of California — have previously rejected a $30,000 SALT cap, calling it insufficient and saying they would vote against a bill including such a limit.

The House tax committee’s draft bill to renew President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts also would impose a new income limit on the deduction, phasing it out for individuals earning more than $200,000, or married couples earning more than $400,000.

That’s just a fraction of what SALT advocates in the House want, LaLota said. A group of lawmakers — largely from New York, New Jersey and California — most committed to expanding the tax break want a $62,000 deduction cap for individuals, or twice that for couples, the person said. They also demand those levels be indexed for inflation in future years, and that the higher limits are available for taxpayers starting in 2025.

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