Republican tensions escalate into a boiling point for the tax struggle of “salt” in Trump's big bill

Washington – House Republicans are in a tense expression on how to deal with the federal deduction for state and local taxes or salt, a sticky question that could create or break the party of the party for the agenda of President Donald Trump.

The ongoing struggle has not only lit up to rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo. It has also created divisions between the Pro-Salt Republicans who undermine their negotiating procedures and complicate the way to a deal.

While some of them are willing to accept Smith's offer to increase the upper limit to $ 30,000, another faction refuses to be inadequate. And they have always become frustrated with some of their colleagues because, in their opinion, they have decided an offer with a low ball.

These tensions came to a boiling point on Tuesday when the Pro-Salz Republicans met in the spokesman Mike Johnson's office to discuss the strategy, and the Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Rn.Y. -A member of the Ways and Means panel, which supports the 30,000 dollar upper limit -according to two sources in the room.

“She was not invited and is not part of our negotiations. So she was asked to go,” said one of the sources in the room, which described the moment on the condition of anonymity. “Jason Smith said yesterday that it was not his job to negotiate with us, so nobody understands why he sent her there.”

It was a suspicious moment of suspicion in the faction-a suggestion that Malliotakis was there so as not to drive her cause, but to be a mole for Smith when they stared at a high negotiation. Rep. Claudia Tenney, Rn.Y., Another Salt supporter who is in the paths and means in social media, noticed that she was not invited to the meeting.

Hours later, Malliotakis voted in the committee for the invoice with the upper limit of $ 30,000 and said in a statement that “the urgently needed relief for the middle class delivered and 98% of families cover in my district”. Tenney also supported the bill.

The Republicans of Top House emphasized their support for the level of $ 30,000 in order to point out that a quartet of other New York Republicans who want a larger deduction – Reps. Elise Stefanik, Mike Lawler, Nick Lalota and Andrew Garrarino – are inappropriate. However, the taxes vary depending on the district, which explains why each member has a different level that he can make out for the deduction. The Republicans of the 2017 Tax Act now want to extend an upper limit for state and local tax deductions of 10,000 US dollars.

These four New York Republicans stick together so far and have the power to sink the entire legislative template in the close home majority in which Johnson saved only three votes.

Stefanik, member of Johnson's management team, which has recently had an icy relationship with the speaker, has taken on a leading role in the talks. The MP Young Kim, R-Calif., Which is one of the highest districts in the country, has also been closely matched by the group of New York Republicans. Now it is up to Johnson to shorten a deal and to appease the holdouts – many of them from swing districts who decide which party controls the chamber in the 2026 interim elections.

When asked about the incident at the meeting on Tuesday, Malliotakis NBC News said in an explanation: “As the only salt -Caucus member about paths and means, I can only know that they are sitting with themselves and negotiating with themselves what they want, but there will be no changes unless I and the committee agree.”

Malliotakis said that everyone has to work for their districts, but their goal is to achieve a solution and “to deliver a large, beautiful bill for America”.

Later, the Republican of Staten Island said that on Tuesday evening she teamed up with Johnson, Smith and other ways and funds of the committee members “for hours” to try to find a way to Salt.

“I think there is space for a better offer, but the window closes,” Malliotakis told reporters. “The longer this takes and the closer we get the memorial day, the more satrium diets of many of my colleagues grow and remedies.”

Smith's office and Johnson's office did not respond to inquiries about comments. But the spokesman publicly insisted that they will achieve a contract for salt, although he recognized that it can take the weekend until he is there. Johnson said on Thursday morning he organized a meeting between the Republicans Pro Salt and some members of the right -wing extremist House Freedom Caucus, who do not want to further increase the Salzkap, unless they receive steeper cuts against Medicaid in return.

Tensions flicker

Since a deal is difficult to grasp, members of the Salz-Caucus publicly aim at Smith, of whom they believe that he has tried to hunt them by advanceing the appearance of the committee of his part of the more comprehensive package, although it is not unusual that hot button problems are canceled in management positions.

Nevertheless, some Pro-Salt Republicans wanted Smith to delay the Markup this week to give them more time to develop a solution, and the spokesman asked whether Smith could accept this request, according to two Republican members and another GOP source familiar with the matter. But the Markup continued as planned.

There was also another tense moment before the Markup when Smith Pro-Salz Republicans detected in his plan to push the $ 30,000 limit forward. During a video meeting on Monday, Smith informed his colleagues that it was not his job to negotiate with the Republicans of Salt Caucus, but also the speaker's job, as NBC News previously reported. Smith said that his draft law reflected the will of his committee, not the Salzaucus, said the sources.

“Someone should ask the spokesman how he would classify this as a negotiation if his own chairman says:” I don't have to negotiate with anyone, I just have to negotiate with my committee, “Lawler told reporters.” His chair should be reminded that he would not have a f-hunger without the members of the Salzkaucus. “

The group refuses to publicly correct their demands, except that the upper limit is increased higher than the current proposal. Behind the scenes, several GOP sources stated that the group is pushing for an upper limit of $ 40,000 for individuals and 80,000 US dollars for couples. But that would be expensive and steer funds from tax policy with broader GOP support both in the house and in the Senate.

When the negotiations attract themselves, salt members tried to draw more attention to their pet problem by distributing salt packages outside the office of the loudspeaker and wearing salt shaking pens that say: “Feel salty”.

“Above all, we will continue to speak to the speaker,” said Lalota. “Unfortunately, the way the committee has refused to negotiate with us in good faith. We discuss these matters with the speaker in good faith.”

It is an unpleasant situation for almost everyone involved. None of them want to stand in the way of Trump's agenda. But salt is such a defined problem in their districts-a reason why some of their predecessors have lost the re-election after taking up the $ 10,000 border-that they could pay a political price if the voters believe that they have accepted a half-baked offer. Stefanik and Lawler also see runs for the governor in New York and make it even more politically important to act.

Lalota said he was not worried about the setback outside of Long Island. “I'm here to make my voters happy,” he said directly from the house floor. “This is my priority.”

In another sign that GOP leaders are deducting the most important voices, rep. Jeff van Drew, Rn.J., who also represents a high tax area, he supported the offer of $ 30,000 and encouraged the colleagues to compromise a compromise.

“They fight for their voters. I understand that they have some very high taxes.

“So we have people from the Red States who don't want to make a cent, not even the 10,000 US dollars who were there. We have people from other countries who want 100,000 or 200,000 US dollars. We don't go in my head either,” he added. “It will be somewhere in between.

The salt struggle also caused tensions between moderate Republicans and the extreme right of the conference.

MP Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA.

Lawler hit X at Greene and said: “Shocking, the lady” Jewish space laser “has no idea what she is talking about.”

Later he said reporters that he would not change his opinion, only “because Marjorie Taylor Greene throws a hissing fit.”