Today, in response to the new tax hike bill, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement:

“I came to Congress to cut taxes for New Jersey families. I want tax cuts and a simpler code for New Jersey families and businesses of all sizes. And I have been on a ‘Tax Cut Tour’ for months now, outlining New Jersey’s priorities for fiscally-responsible tax reform and about what kind of plan I can support. My litmus test has been clear: Will this tax proposal cut taxes for New Jersey families?
As Republicans and Democrats from our state have made clear, this bill fails that test. When all the smoke clears, per capita, it’s actually a tax hike on New Jersey families. Our residents will pay substantially more in federal income taxes. It will force people and businesses out of our state.

I’m hoping the next version will actually get us a tax cut – not a tax hike. I’m ready to support an actual tax cut bill.

This tax hike bill eliminates the state and local tax deduction – a deduction that 52 percent of families in New Jersey take – and severely limits property tax deductions. We will lose our ability to deduct the interest on our home and will see our property values go down. Seniors and families will lose the ability to deduct their medical expenses. The deficit and national debt will explode, by at least $1.5 trillion. And other states – moocher states – will, once again, take our tax dollars to pave their roads and build their bridges.
This tax hike bill will make people and businesses think twice about moving to our state, and leave the rest of us with bigger and bigger bills to pay for essential services like police and fire departments, highways, and resources to fight homegrown terror.

Unfortunately, the tax hike bills delivers only one message: Drop Dead, New Jersey.

The American people deserve a bipartisan approach to fix our broken tax code, so I hope the one-sided, backroom bill-writing ends today. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, I’m ready to hash out our differences — to sit down at the negotiating table and work out a fair, bipartisan agreement, the way that President Reagan and Tip O’Neil did in 1986. I also look forward to continuing my ‘Tax Cut Tour’ to bring attention to the New Jersey seniors, families, and businesses that need a true tax cut, not a raw deal.