Last week, I was reappointed to a coveted seat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee for the new 119th Congress.
In this new Congress, I serve as the only Democrat from New York on the panel, and I will do everything I can to help restore the State and Local (SALT) deduction.
Ways and Means is the oldest committee in Congress, and the only committee authorized in our U.S. Constitution from 1789. It is the chief tax-writing Committee in the House of Representatives, and its jurisdiction includes taxation, trade and tariffs, Social Security,
Medicare, and other key areas of federal economic policy. These topics will be at the forefront of conversation throughout the 119th Congress.
I am deeply honored to be reappointed to this Committee and grateful to my fellow New Yorker, Leader Jeffries. This is an opportunity to serve my district and champion the priorities that matter most to hard-working families, particularly the urgent need to restore the SALT deduction.
In 2017, then-President Trump and the Republican majority capped the SALT deduction at $10,000. Prior to that, for over 100 years, the federal tax code allowed homeowners to deduct 100% of their property taxes and their state and local income taxes from their income so they
would not have to pay federal taxes on the state and local taxes they already paid.
This unfair cap, which has been a body blow to families throughout Long Island and Queens, is set to expire at the end of 2025.
The bad news is that President-elect Trump and the Republican majority plan to reinstate the tax law from 2017. The good news is that candidate Trump campaigned at the Nassau Coliseum, saying he would restore the SALT deduction, and several Long Island and New York Republicans have been threatening to withhold their votes if we don’t get the SALT deduction back. That’s good.
Now, we need to hold the President-elect to his promise and applaud my Republican colleagues for holding their colleagues’ feet to the fire.
Some have proposed increasing the cap to $20,000 for a married couple. That’s not acceptable. We should fight for full restoration.
When the bill first passed, my district was home to over 250,000 families that benefitted from the SALT deduction—the most in the nation. It is time for SALT champions, Democrats and Republicans, to unite to ensure that the cap is not reinstated.
Since this legislation passed in 2017, I have tried to lead in restoring this important deduction. In part because of my persistence, the House passed three bipartisan Suozzi bills to restore the SALT deduction, though these bills died in the Senate. In April of 2021, together with
31 Democratic and Republican members, I founded the SALT Caucus, which I currently co- chair, to advocate for new tax relief from Congress.
That same year, Crains New York Business said I “earned the nickname ‘MR. SALT’ for his single-minded devotion to the issue.”
My appointment to the Ways and Means Committee further strengthens my ability to deliver real results for my constituents. Whether it’s advocating for the restoration of the SALT deduction, promoting economic growth, or defending Social Security, I am committed to fighting for policies that uplift hard-working families and strengthen our communities.
Restoring the SALT deduction is not a partisan issue; it’s about standing up for New York and America’s hard-pressed homeowners. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle – including my SALT Caucus co-Chair Andrew Garbarino – to rebuild a
national bipartisan coalition of governors, mayors, county executives, teachers, firefighters, and realtors to bring much-needed relief to taxpayers in New York and across the country.
I am excited about the work ahead and am committed to working across the aisle and through this important Ways and Means Committee to serve my constituents and the nation we love.
