George Santos introduces first bill — SALT relief

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), battling controversies surrounding how he got into office, has introduced his first piece of legislation.

Santos on Tuesday introduced The SALT Relief Act, which would increase the deduction limit for State and Local Taxes (SALT).

Former President Trump’s tax cut law imposed a $10,000 annual limit on the the SALT deduction. Lawmakers in the New Jersey and New York suburbs from both parties have chaffed at the limit, arguing it hurts constituents in their areas, given high housing prices. The lower deduction rate has the effect of reducing the amount of property taxes that can be written.

If enacted, Santos’s legislation would raise the cap to $50,000. Some Democrats have also proposed increasing the cap. Legislation was passed by the House in 2021 that would have raised the cap to $80,000 until 2030.

“While the cost-of-living continues to plague New Yorkers, and by raising the cap on SALT will provide real tax relief not just to New York’s Third Congressional District but to all,” Santos said in a statement.

Santos has faced calls to resign from Democrats and members of his own party over falsehoods about his background that only became public after his election. Questions have been raised about the college Santos claimed to have attended, his work resume, his finances and his family background.

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.), the first House Republican to call for Santos’s resignation, has circulated a bill and a resolution that would prohibit representatives found guilty of an offense “involving financial or campaign finance fraud from receiving compensation for biographies, media appearances or expressive or creative works.”

D’Esposito and Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) both called on Santos on Wednesday to be removed from the House. House Democrats introduced a resolution last month that would expel the embattled congressman from the House, citing his history of fabrication related to his resume and other experience.

A recent poll released Monday found that two-thirds of New York voters, including 58 percent of Republicans, think that Santos should resign.

Santos admitted in December that he had fabricated parts of his professional experience, including his education and previous places of employment. He blamed the local Nassau County GOP for his “embellished resume,” saying last month that he would not have gotten the nomination if he said he did not finish college.