Senate Republicans are staring down a collision course with the House as they weigh possible changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap as part of larger revisions to the party’s massive tax bill.
“There’s not one Republican in the United States Senate who gives a s‑‑‑ about SALT,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said. “Having said that, what does matter is 218 votes in the House, and we want to be cognizant about that.”
For much of the last month, the issue had been a vexing one for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Republicans as the group of nearly a half-dozen SALT members held the keys, intent on reversing what they viewed as a wrong implemented during the 2017 tax cut package.
“It comes down to costs. It’s probably going to get entangled [in the larger debate]. I hate the SALT policy,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters.
Tillis, a former Speaker of the House in Raleigh, noted, though, that he’s sympathetic to Johnson’s plight and recognizes the cap probably has to remain in the bill in some form as it is debated in coming weeks.
— Al Weaver has the latest here.
