The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a budget resolution today that will allow Congress to push through the Trump Administration’s tax plan–and potentially end property tax deductions for most Verona taxpayers. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ11), who represents Verona in the House, was one of the 216 congressmen–all Republicans–who voted in favor of the measure, and the only Republican from New Jersey to do so.
Twenty Republicans joined all of the House’s Democrats to oppose the measure, including New Jersey Reps. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2), Tom McArthur (NJ-3), Chris Smith (NJ-4) and Leonard Lance (NJ-7). The resolution vote enables a so-called reconciliation process that will let the Senate pass the Trump tax plan with only a simple majority instead of the 60 votes that would have been needed.
While the Trump tax plan has yet to have been fully disclosed to Congress, what is known of it so far includes the elimination of the federal income-tax deduction for paying state and local taxes (SALT), including property tax deductions. As the chart below explains, that will have a substantial impact on taxpayers in Verona. Legislators are now meeting to negotiate on SALT.
On his website, Frelinghuysen says that “New Jersey taxpayers already bear one of the heaviest tax burdens in the nation from state, county, and local taxes: income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes” and that he is “committed to lowering our tax burden wherever and whenever I can.” After today’s vote, his office released the following statement: “I am voting for the budget resolution to get my Appropriations bills done. I will evaluate tax reform when I see the details. My twelve bills are done and through the House. Every Member got their vote on them and I’ll get mine on tax reform. The Democrats want to stop the debate on tax reform because they don’t want to lower tax rates for families or for businesses. They want bigger government and more spending.”
Frelinghuysen has drifted further and further away from moderate and has benefitted from his constituents’ lack of attention. He has voted to allow mentally ill and/or incompetent citizens to purchase firearms (2/2, 3/16), to allow coal mining waste to be dumped into streams (2/2), weaken consumer protections (3/9, 3/28, 6/8) and more. These don’t sound like the actions of a moderate, and they surely don’t represent many of the interests in Verona and other district 11 towns. I hope everyone checks his voting record before going to the polls, because he’s probably not what you thought he was.
Representative Frelinghuysen has frankly just purchased a one way ticket to retirement. This vote is a disgusting slap in the face for every constituent in his district. His flimsy excuse, that he is waiting to see what the final bill is, mirrors what he said when voting for ACA repeal. He has fully joined the Ryan camp and will never help his constituents. We are done with him.
vote the bum out of office