- By Steve Bittenbender | The Center Square contributorApr 13, 2021
(The Center Square) – Nearly all of New York’s congressional Democrats have told House leaders on Tuesday they will not support any tax increase unless federal lawmakers restore deductions for state and local taxes.
All but two of the 19 Democrats representing New York districts signed a letter sent to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. In the letter, the lawmakers said the provision, which was capped at $10,000 as part of the 2017 tax reform law, unfairly penalizes the state’s taxpayers as well those in other “progressive” states.
“The SALT deduction ensured that New York State middle class families were not taxed twice on their income, which is critical when New Yorkers already pay about $40 billion more in federal taxes than they receive from the federal government,” they wrote.
The letter comes a week after New York state lawmakers passed a budget that included significant tax increases on high income earners. Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the time said he agreed to the tax increases because he received assurances from Washington that Congress would repeal the cap on state and local tax deductions.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler said the repeal is essential now as the state begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that has cost the state more than 1 million jobs.
“Repealing the SALT limitation is a question of fundamental fairness,” said Nadler, who led the letter-writing effort along with U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi.
Democrats hold just a 218-211 majority in the House, with six vacant seats. So, if the 17 New York Democrats hold their line, House Democrats would be unable to pass any tax increase package.
“At the end of the day, we must fix this injustice,” said Suozzi in a statement. “No SALT, no deal.”
The New York Democrats do have a sympathetic ear in Pelosi. Earlier this month, she told reporters she hoped a SALT repeal could find its way in the bill supporting President Biden’s $2.2 trillion infrastructure plan.
Those joining Nadler and Suozzi on the letter were: U.S. Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Mondaire Jones, Antonio Delgado, Hakeem Jeffries, Nydia Velázquez, Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng, Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke, Paul Tonko, Brian Higgins, Adriano Espaillat, Joseph Morelle, Sean Patrick Maloney and Ritchie Torres.
The only two delegation members who did not sign the letter were U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kathleen Rice. Ocasio-Cortez in late 2019 voted against a measure in the House that would have rolled back the cap.
Rice, though, according to statements around that same time, supported a measure that would have restored the deduction for the 2020 and 2021 tax years.
An request for a comment late Tuesday afternoon to Rice’s congressional office was not immediately returned.
Latest from the Roosevelt Island Daily News desk…
Deborah Julian, Roosevelt Island’s caring cat sitter…
Ready to travel again? Leave the care of your cats to Roosevelt Island’s most caring cat sitter. Serving the community’s cats over ten years.
Now Final – Hopefully – Assembly Districting Leaves Roosevelt Island in Manhattan
Yesterday, New York’s Redistricting Commission released its final assembly districting map. After a December version where Roosevelt Island was absorbed into a Queens district, this one marks a return to Manhattan’s 76th. The maps which still must be approved by the legislature closely resemble those already in place. by David Stone The Roosevelt Island Daily…
Keep reading
Morally Bankrupt, RIOC Again Puts It On Display
Governor Kathy Hochul’s gift to Roosevelt Island, a morally bankrupt RIOC administration, keeps on giving. This time, it’s on display again as her team of overpaid underachievers greedily scoops up public credit for the work of real doers. The scene was an award from the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, honoring the…
Keep reading
Senator Liz Krueger Earns a Win in Budget Climate Change Battle
A climate change battle erupted during New York State’s budget negotiations. “Governor Hochul’s excuse that New York needs to gut its nation-leading climate law in order to save New Yorkers money is flat-out wrong,” Krueger said. Late yesterday, Hochul backed down, withdrawing a proposal slipped in just days before the budget deadline. Krueger represents Roosevelt…
Keep reading
Report: New York has the highest tax burden in the nation
(The Center Square) — New Yorkers contribute the largest portion of their annual income to taxes in the nation, according to a new report by the personal finance website WalletHub. The Empire State has the highest overall tax burden in the U.S., accounting for 12.47% of personal income, according to the report — 2023’s Tax Burden by State — which…
Keep reading
What’s at Stake in the New York State Budget? A Quick Guide
With an April 1 deadline looming, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie are hashing out the upcoming New York State budget, likely in the ballpark of $230 billion. But a host of differences between the executive’s budget proposal and the proposals of the two elected bodies have yet…
Keep reading
Groups urge lawmakers not to expand Hochul’s spending powers
(The Center Square) — Government watchdog groups are calling on New York lawmakers to reject Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push for “unilateral” borrowing and spending powers. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a coalition of groups urged lawmakers to strip provisions from the proposed state budget that they claim…
Keep readingLoading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
