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Blue state Republicans threaten mutiny over state and local taxes in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

Blue state Republicans threaten mutiny over state and local taxes in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

Sparks are flying over taxes that primarily affect Republicans representing districts in Democrat-controlled states, sending tensions skyrocketing as GOP lawmakers negotiate President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.” The fight more specifically is about state and local tax deductions, colloquially known as SALT.  Republican lawmakers representing high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities had been pushing leaders to raise the current cap on SALT deductions – $10,000 for both single filers and married couples – in Trump’s bill. However, on Thursday night, leaders of the House’s SALT Caucus emphatically rejected what they said was an offer from GOP leaders to raise that deduction to $30,000. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “We’ve negotiated in good faith on SALT from the start— fighting for the taxpayers we represent in New York. Yet with no notice or agreement, the Speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee unilaterally proposed a flat $30,000 SALT cap — an amount they already knew would fall short of earning our support,” the statement said. “It’s not just insulting — it risks derailing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. New Yorkers already send far more to Washington than we get back — unlike many so-called ‘low-tax’ states that depend heavily on federal largesse. A higher SALT cap isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of fairness. We reject this offer.” The statement was signed by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y. However, not all of their delegation is on board. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., whose district spans a sliver of south Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, told Fox News Digital first that she could support a $30,000 cap. “Everyone needs to advocate for the needs of their district. Tripling the deduction to $30,000 will provide much-needed relief for the middle-class and cover 98% of the families in my district,” she said. However, a spokesperson for Johnson pointed out that there was no commitment made on any number. Press secretary Athina Lawson wrote on X alongside a report that Johnson “acknowledged” the $30,000 number, “To add vital, missing context: What the Speaker actually said is this is one number among others in ongoing discussions amongst members.” She referenced comments Johnson made to reporters on Thursday when asked about the figure. “I’ve heard that number, and I’ve heard others as well.” “It’s still an ongoing discussion amongst the members,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to handicap it because I’m not sure exactly what that is, but there’s a lot of analysis that’s going into it.” The Republican majorities in the House and Senate are working on advancing Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to move a massive piece of legislation without the opposing party’s input, provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters. It is a massive effort across multiple committees of jurisdiction. The Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, is expected to unveil its portion of the bill within days.  BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY A meeting to advance that legislation is expected Tuesday afternoon, people familiar with the planning told Fox News Digital. Malliotakis is the only member of the committee who is also a member of the SALT Caucus. Republicans in California, New York and New Jersey have been pushing for the reconciliation bill to lift the SALT deduction cap, which was first implemented in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Some lawmakers have proposed lifting the cap to as high as $100,000, which Republicans in other areas have largely rejected. The blue state Republicans pushing for a larger deduction have argued the issue is critical for their constituents.  They are also the most vulnerable lawmakers in the House GOP Conference, and their seats are key to Republicans holding onto their slim majority. Republicans in favor of raising the SALT deduction have also pointed out that while it benefits people in high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities, it is those states that send more tax dollars back to Washington for programs that ultimately benefit the entire country. However, others in conservative circles have pushed back on their efforts. “The Republican margin is so small in the House that a handful of New England Republicans have a lot of sway over this bill and are pushing to raise that deduction,” said Marc Short, an alumnus of Trump’s first administration who played a key role in the 2017 tax negotiations. “I think from a tax perspective, what’s unfair about that is you’re basically taking much of middle America that live in states that are better governed and asking them to subsidize the residents in states that are poorly managed and continue to generate huge deficits.”

Veteran advocacy leader defends Trump’s shake-ups at VA, calls for reform to support veterans

Veteran advocacy leader defends Trump’s shake-ups at VA, calls for reform to support veterans

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump‘s Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, has proposed a 15% workforce reduction with a goal of cutting 80,000 jobs at the VA.  Retired Lt. Col. Jim Whaley, CEO of Mission Roll Call, a veteran advocacy non-profit, said such VA reform is necessary to improve veterans’ lives across the United States.  Whaley told Fox News Digital that veterans want to see less bureaucracy at the VA and more “community care” to cut wait times and increase services at local VA hospitals, but “if it was easy, somebody would have solved it.” “Every American and politician, from both sides of the aisle, can agree that we want to make sure we take care of our veterans,” Whaley said. “We just got out of over 20 years of war, so there are a lot of veterans and their families that need help. We want to make sure that every dollar that the American taxpayer is paying to support the VA is spent wisely, and that veterans are getting the care that they need. And more importantly, that they’re getting the care when they need it, where they need it and how they need it.” ‘CHANGES THAT ACTUALLY HELP OUR VETERANS’: VA SECRETARY DEFENDS PROPOSED 15% WORKFORCE REDUCTION The VA serves only half of U.S. veterans. While Whaley said Collins is trying to reach the other 50% through TV and podcast appearances, he encouraged more transparency about the VA’s services to reach the other half of veterans who still need care.  “One hundred days into the second Trump administration, and VA is no longer content with poor results. Under President Trump’s leadership, we have already stripped away many of the costly distractions that were coming between VA beneficiaries and the benefits they have earned. And we’re looking to make even more historic reforms to better serve our veterans,” Collins said.  Trump and Collins have faced controversy in the media and among Democrats for cutting VA jobs and for their efforts to overhaul the department. Whaley, whose organization conducts veteran polling, said more than half of veterans are worried about VA cuts.  ‘DOWN TO ZERO’: VETERAN SUICIDE CRISIS TARGETED IN VA BILL BY BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION “When all you hear is about the cuts versus what the philosophy is behind why you’re making those changes in an organization, there’s going to be fear. Change is hard. It’s important that the VA stays as transparent as possible and reports on what is being done and what improvements are being made,” Whaley said.  However, Whatley, a veteran himself, said all veterans want to see an improved VA.  “They want to see services improve, they want to see wait times reduced. As time goes on and Veterans Affairs communicate more and more with veterans, they will know a little bit about what’s going on, and they’ll be a little less anxious about it. I think it’s all about making sure that veterans are getting the news, making sure they understand why they’re making these cuts.” Whaley encouraged Collins and the VA to include more veterans in the conversations surrounding the VA’s reform by listening to families and caregivers to learn how to best invest in veteran care.  “Veteran affairs are very important to recruitment issues, and that, of course, affects national security. So they’re not all separate, it all wraps together. When a veteran gets out of the service after a few years of serving their country, we have to make sure that the transition to the civilian world and finding a job and plugging into the community goes smoothly, because if we don’t, then we have an issue,” Whaley said.  According to the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, more than 17 veterans committed suicide per day in 2021.  “We need to get the number of suicides as close to zero as possible. That’s the number one priority,” Whaley said, adding that community care is also a top priority, so veterans don’t have to drive long distances and wait a long time to get the services they need.  “We need to make sure that the Department of Defense and the VA are working together when veterans are transitioning out of the military to make sure they’re plugged into the VA and that the transition goes well. Because the fact of the matter is, the majority of suicides among veterans are from veterans that have recently transitioned to the civilian world.”

Amid India Pakistan conflict Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, ‘Banks must…’

Amid India Pakistan conflict Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, ‘Banks must…’

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday convened a high-level meeting with the Managing Directors and CEOs of Public and Private sector banks and insurance companies amidst emerging security concerns arising from tensions at the western border. Senior officials from the Department of Financial Services (Ministry of Finance), CERT-In, RBI, IRDAI and NPCI attended the meeting, which focused on reviewing the banking sector’s operational and cybersecurity preparedness, including digital public-facing applications such as internet banking and UPI, as per a statement from the Ministry of Finance.

Inclusive tone of new pope isn’t sitting well with some in the ‘America First’ movement

Inclusive tone of new pope isn’t sitting well with some in the ‘America First’ movement

The morning after his election, Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history — presided over his first Mass. In a nod to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, Leo pledged to align himself with “ordinary people” and pointed to a loss of religious faith for contributing to “appalling violations of human dignity.” “A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,” the new pope said in his homily delivered at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday.  However, the message from the pope – who, like his predecessor, appears to hail from the more inclusive and progressive wing of the Catholic Church – does not appear to be receptive to some in the “America First” movement. FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION The founder and leader of the movement, President Donald Trump, on Thursday quickly praised the selection of Leo, who was Chicago-born but has lived much of his adult life in Peru. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump wrote in a social media post. Additionally, Vice President JD Vance, only the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history, congratulated the new pope, adding, “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!” PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN ‘HONOR’ FOR US, ‘VERY HAPPY’ However, thanks to a paper trail of weighing in on major American lighting rod issues such as illegal immigration, gun control, and even the 2020 death of George Floyd – which sparked nationwide protests targeting police brutality towards minorities – the new pope was bound to be controversial among some of Trump’s millions of MAGA supporters. Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a conservative Catholic, wrote, “Worst pick ever,” in responding on social media to the new pope’s election. That sentiment from Bannon, and much harsher words from some far-right podcasters and social media influencers, was likely fueled in part by apparent past posts from the new pope – which could not be independently verified by Fox News – that were critical of the Trump administration’s sweeping and controversial immigration policies. Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that “the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.” LIVE UPDATES: CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV However, influential conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a MAGA world rock star and Trump ally who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization, was more measured. “Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about,” Kirk said in a video posted on X. Kirk added that “overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.” Popular conservative commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt seemed receptive to the new pope. Trump has warmly embraced American Catholics in recent years and captured nearly 60% of the Catholic vote in last year’s presidential election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. Four years earlier, former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, narrowly captured the Catholic vote. Among those Catholics who supported Trump is former New Hampshire state House Speaker Bill O’Brien, who is one of the state’s two members on the Republican National Committee. O’Brien told Fox News that he’s “very respectful of the votes of the conclave, and I’m also proud that we do have a pope from America.” “I certainly would have liked to have seen someone more in the tradition of Pope Benedict, who held more closely to the traditional doctrines of the church,” O’Brien said. “But I’m not sure that Pope Leo is really established now in terms of where he will be. And the fact that he criticized Trump, I suppose that probably shows a less than developed political sense than it does a doctoral sense, which is more important.” O’Brien noted that “any pope, any religious figure for that matter, is going to be concerned about those who are powerless in our society, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean he’s given intense thought to the importance of national borders.” He additionally emphasized that “I’m thrilled about where he comes from, and I’m hopeful about where he’s going.”

Trump pushes tax hikes for wealthy as ‘big, beautiful bill’ deadline looms

Trump pushes tax hikes for wealthy as ‘big, beautiful bill’ deadline looms

House Republicans are trying to find the right cocktail of tax reductions and new revenue to pass President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill” by Memorial Day.  No taxes on tips is politically popular and is a key campaign promise of the president, but a coalition of deficit hawks could block that if the GOP fails to find revenue to cover the gap.  That is why the president pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week to raise taxes on the super rich.  HORSE SENSE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS WORK TO PASS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Trump is considering allowing the rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more to increase by 2.6%, from 37% to 39.6%, Fox News Digital reported Thursday. Such a move would resonate with working-class Americans who elected the president. However, many conservatives have signed pledges for years against raising any taxes.  Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Friday morning, “The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” CAPITOL HILL LAWMAKERS REACT TO ELECTION OF FIRST AMERICAN POPE: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’  A deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) also remains unresolved as a group of Republican representatives from New York threaten to vote against the latest proposal. Meantime, a debate rages about health assistance. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, accused Democrats of trying to “paralyze our conference” and “frighten” Republicans about Medicare and Medicaid cuts. Specifics are key. “Until we see what comes out of the committee, I don’t know what’s on and what’s off,” said Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.