To the Editor:
Last week, a friend of mine informed me that the company she works for her is ceasing operations in the US due to the tariffs. Her job is being eliminated. Several moments later I read a social media post in which Congressman Lawler stated that “we are going to have an economy that is growing, that is creating jobs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hard-working Americans”.
My friend’s pending unemployment is only one indicator that makes me doubt the Congressman’s statement.
- The “no tax on cash tips” only applies to people who earn less than $25,000 per year, requires them to itemize deductions, thus forgoing the $15,000 standard deduction. I am unclear how this puts money back into their pockets.
- The US private sector lost 33,000 jobs in June, missing expectations for an increase of 115,000. This does not support the claim that this administration is creating jobs.
- The recently passed budget bill does include a provision to temporarily increase the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 starting in 2025, but this increase is subject to income phaseouts and is set to expire after 2029. Five years will be gone in the blink of an eye.
- The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that the budget bill “would add $2.4 trillion to primary deficits over the coming decade, adding $3.0 trillion to the debt including interest.” Is this what the Congressman means by a growing economy?
We need to hold our elected officials accountable for passing a budget bill that is bad for Americans in so many ways.
Sincerely,
Judith Mezey
Tarrytown
