Donovan bucks GOP, votes no on tax plan

‘The math just doesn’t add up,’ Congressman says

November 16, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan charged that if the GOP-led House bill becomes law, New Yorkers will be carrying an unfair financial burden for other states. Eagle file photo by Paula Katinas

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When the House of Representatives voted 227-205 on Thursday in favor of a landmark bill to overhaul the nation’s tax system, the lone Republican in New York City’s Congressional delegation decided to buck his party and vote against the legislation.

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn-Staten Island) was one of only 13 Republicans in the House to vote against the bill. All of the Democrats in the House voted “no.”

Donovan released a statement explaining his vote.

Donovan said it’s not that he is against lower taxes for Americans, but that he believes the bill is unfair to his constituents.

The legislation would end the state and local income tax deduction which residents in high-taxed states like New York have come to depend on, according to Donovan, who said he also objects to the cap on the mortgage interest deduction and the cap the property tax deduction.

“The math just doesn’t add up. This would be a tax increase for far too many families that I represent. I will not support legislation that cuts taxes for everybody else in the country and sends my constituents the bill. For every dollar New York sends to Washington, we get $0.79 back. We’re already subsidizing the rest of the country,” Donovan stated.

The bill provides $1.5 trillion on tax cuts for businesses and individuals.

Donovan cited a study conducted by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which found that four states — New York, New Jersey, California and Maryland — would pay $16.7 billion more in taxes over the next 10 years, while the other 46 states would see a $101.5 billion tax cut.

“Let’s stop pretending this bill is good for everybody. It’s shifting the tax burden to families in states that already pay exorbitant taxes in order to fund tax cuts elsewhere. Folks in Washington view New York as a piggy bank to continue subsidizing services for other parts of the country, but the party won’t last forever,” Donovan said.

The U.S. Senate is currently working on its own version of the tax reform bill.