Gottheimer provision requires DoD to analyze nationwide costs of living for military families — especially in NJ, where SALT cap whacked families

On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, the House passed bipartisan legislation that included U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer’s (NJ-5) provision for the U.S. Department of Defense to report on how the gutting of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction has impacted military families.

The legislation requires the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to prepare an annual report to Congress containing an analysis of the nationwide costs of living for members of the Department of Defense — particularly those in New Jersey who’ve been whacked by the gutting of the SALT deduction.

Earlier this week, Gottheimer spoke on the House floor urging support for this provision. Watch HERE. 

“New Jersey has a lot of things going for it — the best schools and students, top-notch businesses and workers, unparalleled research institutions, safe communities, and a great quality of life. But there’s no question that kneecapping the SALT deduction has hurt New Jersey and our families by raising our taxes, lowering our property values, and making the cost of living unaffordable for far too many — including our brave servicemembers and civilian Defense Department employees,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the House Financial Services Committee’s National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy Subcommittee. “By passing my amendment today, we are taking a vital step in the House to fight the 2017 Tax Hike Bill that gutted our SALT dedication and is hurting our military families, who already sacrifice so much to protect our nation.” 

The 2017 Tax Hike Bill gutted the SALT deduction and capped it at $10,000. It has negatively affected thousands of New Jersey families. Gottheimer has consistently fought for the full reinstatement of the SALT deduction to help lower taxes, increase property values, and ease financial stress on North Jersey families.

In May 2020, Gottheimer supported the House coronavirus rescue, relief, and tax cut package that included a full reinstatement of the SALT deduction for 2020 and 2021, as well as significant support and relief for North Jersey. 

This Congress, Gottheimer introduced the bipartisan bill, H.R. 4274, to fully reinstate the State and Local Tax deduction. It was similar to bipartisan legislation Gottheimer introduced last Congress.

Bipartisan legislation to restore the SALT deduction passed the House in late 2019, which Gottheimer co-sponsored, but has stalled in the Senate.

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