Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Donald Trump Reversing His Position On The SALT Deductions Cap, Hurting Millions Of Middle-Class Taxpayers

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor after Donald Trump reversed his position on restoring the cap on state and local tax deduction, jeopardizing relief for millions of middle-class taxpayers. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

In the fall, on the campaign trail, on Long Island, and on his Truth Social account, Donald Trump said this: “I will turn it around, get SALT back, lower your taxes, and so much more. I’ll work with the Democrat Governor and Mayor, and make sure the funding is there to bring New York State back to levels it hasn’t seen for 50 years.”

And on Long Island, he went further. He promised to “…cut taxes for families, small businesses and workers, including restoring the SALT deduction, saving thousands of dollars for residents of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other high-cost states.”

Promising that once he restored SALT, “…jobs and factories will pour back into New York. I know how to do it better than anybody has ever known how to do it, and we can do it so easily.”

This was obviously met with raucous praise. After all, it was he, Donald Trump, who created this disaster when he put SALT caps in during his first term, in his tax bill that year.

I was incredibly skeptical about Donald Trump’s promise on Long Island: after all, this was the arsonist promising to put out the fire.

Since then, many New York House Republicans have made the same promise – parroting then-candidate Trump, almost every week since he’s taken office.

They even formed a little SALT Caucus in the House.

So, some may be shocked – shocked – to hear that just a few moments ago, right here in the Capitol, President Trump completely reversed himself.

Now, Donald Trump is against this proposal that he – and many New York House Republicans – campaigned on. He reportedly said this morning he will not raise the SALT cap because “We don’t want to benefit Democratic governors.”

President Trump came to the Capitol apparently to send a message to New York Republicans: he’s reversing himself and breaking his promises on SALT. Just as I long warned he would do.

Donald Trump apparently says that he now opposes SALT because it would only benefit the Democratic governors.

What about New York taxpayers?

What about the police and firefighters and teachers who are paying higher taxes because of SALT on Long Island and the Hudson Valley and throughout New York State?

Or the millions of American taxpayers across the country impacted by Trump’s illogical move to do this in his first term?

Does Donald Trump give a damn about middle-class New Yorkers, particularly in the suburbs, who are paying more taxes because of the SALT cap? Apparently not.

When Trump came to Long Island and talked a big game about restoring SALT relief, I called it a farce. It was actually a lie.

And today, he has proved himself a liar – and has seemingly played New York House Republicans for fools.

If New York House Republicans don’t stand up to Donald Trump right now, they will look like fools. They have said over and over again that they’re going to fight this horrible SALT cap, which hurts so many New Yorkers and so many in their own districts.

They have said they will fight to the end. Will they stand up now to Donald Trump or cave, disappointing millions of New Yorkers? 

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