Op-Eds from Mike

Your editorial “The Corleone Option for SALT Republicans” (May 15) suggests my efforts to achieve a higher deduction for state and local taxes would amount to a giveaway to the wealthy. In reality, the current $10,000 cap unfairly penalizes middle-class families—cops, firefighters, teachers, nurses, blue-collar tradespeople—in high-tax states like New York.

The cap was an arbitrary pay-for in the 2017 tax bill, reversing decades of tax policy. Lifting the cap aligns with President Trump’s pledge to “get SALT back.” Nationwide, taxpayers claiming SALT deductions dropped from 31% to 9% after the cap was implemented, and in New York from 35% to 10%. A 2025 survey shows 77% support more money for middle-class families, and 74% identify “double taxation,” as reasons to lift the cap.

The 2017 tax bill expires at the end of the year. If we take no action, the cap will expire and Americans will face the largest tax increase in generations. It is essential that we reach an agreement—and one that doesn’t unjustly burden important constituencies. New York is a donor state, receiving less money back than it sends to the federal government in tax revenue. Republicans from blue states such as New York, California and New Jersey were instrumental in delivering the Republican Party its majority in the 119th Congress.

The Corleone treatment won’t work on me: I won’t be ignored and will keep President Trump’s promise to restore SALT deductions.