Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) said Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “The Story” that he would not “sacrifice” his constituents by voting in favor of President Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill without a higher cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.
Lawler said, “I’m one of only three Republicans that have won in a district that Kamala Harris won. So the fact is, I know my district very well and there’s a reason why I’ve been successful.”
He continued, “I respect the president. I know how important it is to pass this bill. Allowing the tax cuts to expire would be catastrophic. It would be the single largest tax increase in American history. But I’m not going to sacrifice my constituents, and throw them under the bus in a bad-faith negotiation, which is what this has been by leadership and Jason Smith. So, I’m sitting in the speaker’s office. I just left those negotiations that have restarted since this morning to come talk to you, and I’ll be going back right after we finish this. But the fact is, we need to come to an agreement. We need to provide real and lasting tax relief. And that’s what I’m fighting for for my constituents. So I respect the president, respect The Wall Street Journal, but I’ll respectfully disagree.”
Lawler added, “The fact is that in a district like mine, it is not the wealthy that I’m talking about. I’m talking about the cop and the teacher who are struggling under the crushing weight of the highest tax burden in America, and in New York. We can all agree Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America. Nobody disputes that. We can all agree New York’s cost of living is exorbitant. Nobody disputes that. But I’m not going to sell out my constituents at the expense of getting a fair tax deal.”
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