Providing for Consideration of H.R. Salt Marriage Penalty Elimination Act; and Providing for Consideration of H. Res. Denouncing the Harmful, Anti-American Energy Policies of the Biden Administration

Floor Speech

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Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, in a time when middle-class families are increasingly squeezed by the rising cost of living, providing real tax relief is imperative.

That is why I introduced the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, which is designed to correct an inequity that has burdened married couples across New York and the United States since 2017.

The current tax code unfairly caps State and local tax deductions, otherwise known as SALT, at $10,000 for married couples filing jointly, essentially penalizing them for their marital status and depriving them of the full $20,000 deduction they would rightly deserve.

This arbitrary threshold does not reflect the economic realities faced by dual-income households, especially in high-cost areas like New York's 17th District. It is an issue that transcends tax policy. It is about fairness and supporting the backbone of our communities--our families.

The implications of the SALT cap are significant. Since its implementation, we have witnessed a dramatic decline in taxpayers claiming the SALT deduction, a drop from nearly 50 percent in my district to 19, or nationwide, from 31 percent to 9.

This stark decrease has disproportionately impacted high-cost States like New York where the cost of living far exceeds the national average.

In my district alone, the percentage of filers itemizing taxes have halved since the cap's introduction, underscoring the urgent need for reform.

The SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, my first bill introduced in the House, seeks to address this issue head-on by eliminating the marriage penalty and reinstating a fair deduction limit.

During the Rules Committee hearing, there was some insinuation that this legislation was hurried and rushed in the dead of night.

I am here to tell you that this legislation has been available for people to review for over 13 months and is less than 2 pages long.

This isn't some thousand-page omnibus deal. It is something that we have worked on with Republican leadership and our Democrat colleagues to address for over a year.

Passage of the SALT Marriage Penalty Implementation Act would represent a significant step toward alleviating the financial burden faced by countless families in my district and across the country, offering relief from the double taxation that has unjustly impacted them.

Additionally, with housing costs reaching near record highs and inflation continuing to erode purchasing power, the need for this bill is all the more necessary.

For instance, in Rockland and Westchester Counties in my district, the monthly cost of a mortgage surged by $1,000 in the past year alone, thanks to rate increases brought about by the trillions in new spending from this administration and the prior Congress.

These spikes in housing costs, coupled with rising grocery prices, are unsustainable for the average family, making tax relief essential.

This House Republican majority was built by the contributions of New Yorkers, and this legislation would help those same New Yorkers see immediate tax relief.

Some critics might balk at the cost of this measure. The fact is that relief provided to families across the country would spur additional economic growth that would outpace the minor cost.

This bill is a compromise that fixes an unfair penalty and stands to revitalize communities, stimulate economic activity, and most importantly, support the hardworking families who are the lifeblood of our Nation. It provides immediate tax relief.

SALT is expected to expire in 2025, but these families can't wait that long. I urge all of my colleagues to support this profamily measure that corrects this unfair penalty, and I encourage my Democratic colleagues to support it, as well.

They talk a good game, but when they had complete control in the prior Congress, they failed to provide a fix.

They failed to enact legislation that would provide immediate tax relief. Governor Hochul, Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Leader Jeffries have been silent.

They should embrace this. They should be championing it. They should be supporting our efforts. This is about providing real, tangible support to those who need it.

As we move forward, I am hopeful that this can be a moment of unity amongst my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, reflecting the bipartisan understanding that when it comes to supporting our families, fairness is critical.

Together, we can ensure that unfair tax policies that penalize families are a thing of the past, putting the well-being of American families above all.

Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, let's go back to who caused this problem in the first place. It was those Republicans with their Republican tax cut.

The Trump tax cut is the one that caused this problem. Let's not forget why we are facing this. Let's not forget, and, hopefully, New Yorkers won't forget as to why they are facing this problem in the first place.

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