{"id":2635980,"date":"2026-07-27T12:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T16:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-trump-locks-horns-with-gop-lawmakers\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T12:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T16:41:18","slug":"how-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-trump-locks-horns-with-gop-lawmakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-trump-locks-horns-with-gop-lawmakers\/","title":{"rendered":"How the &#8216;big, beautiful bill&#8217; became law: Trump locks horns with GOP lawmakers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-trump-locks-horns-with-gop-lawmakers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2635980&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A small group of five Republican lawmakers from high-tax states played a crucial role in shaping the passage of a significant tax bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. With a narrow House majority, these members used their leverage to push for an increase in the SALT deduction cap, aiming to raise it from $10,000 to $40,000. Despite facing intense pressure from most of their Republican colleagues, who preferred to limit or eliminate SALT deductions, and from President Trump, who criticized the deduction, the five negotiators remained steadfast.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s efforts to sway them included a lengthy speech criticizing the SALT cap, which ultimately strengthened their resolve.The group coordinated through private chats, played different roles in negotiations, and displayed passion and determination to achieve their goal. The final deal raised the SALT cap to $40,000 for five years with a $500,000 income threshold, a significant victory for their districts, notably for high-tax states like New York and California. <\/p>\n<p>Throughout the process, the members balanced strategic negotiation, advocacy for their constituents, and intense discussions, culminating in a deal that pleased the core group but left some members remarking that a permanent solution might have been preferable. after reaching agreement, the negotiators celebrated their accomplishment, reflecting the intense efforts and compromises involved in passing this landmark legislation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A small group of Republicans from high-tax states held the fate of the biggest tax legislation in nearly a decade in the palm of their hands.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a wire-thin majority in the House, the group of five knew that leadership needed all of their votes. If they banded together, they could use the entirety of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as leverage to get <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">President Donald Trump<\/a> and Republicans to agree to raise the $10,000 cap on deductions for state and local taxes, or <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/salt-cap\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11783\">SALT<\/a> \u2014 the biggest tax priority for the group of Republicans, which included Reps. Mike Lawler (NY), Nick LaLota (NY), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Young Kim (CA), and Tom Kean (NJ).<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4661726\/big-beautiful-bill-trump-salt-cap-gop-lawmakers\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>How the Big Beautiful Bill became law: Trump locks horns with GOP lawmakers<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4664223\/rahm-emanuel-trump-apologize-kaitlan-collins-dylan-mulvaney-quip\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Rahm Emanuel calls on Trump to apologize to Kaitlan Collins for Dylan Mulvaney quip<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4662740\/laura-loomer-ukraine-reversal-trump-war-shift\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Laura Loomer\u2019s Ukraine reversal could deepen Trump\u2019s shift on the war<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But they knew they would face massive pressure from other Republicans \u2014 the overwhelming majority of whom wanted to limit SALT deductions, which mainly benefit Democrat-run states \u2014 and from Trump.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, Trump ratcheted up the pressure. In late May, the president addressed the Republican House conference, in which he lambasted the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/3462135\/salt-deduction-cap-taxes-trump-big-beautiful-bill\/\">SALT deduction<\/a> and told the group of Republican holdouts to fall in line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet Trump\u2019s badgering, which even featured him telling Lawler that he knew his Hudson Valley district better than the congressman did, backfired.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaLota told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Trump had a prepared speech to deliver to the conference, but threw it aside and launched into his own 45-minute speech, about half of which was a diatribe against the SALT deduction.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left: House SALT Caucus members Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Young Kim (R-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Brad Schneider (D-IL), and Andrew Garbarino (D-NY). (Graphic by Grace Hagerman\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaLota said Trump used the moment to raise the temperature on those five \u201csaltiest\u201d holdouts in the SALT caucus. LaLota recalled that, after the 45-minute haranguing, he was \u201ca bit anxious that maybe our coalition might be fractured a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But instead, the pressure campaign made the group \u201ccircle the wagons,\u201d Garbarino told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group huddled in the back of the conference room after Trump spoke. There, Kim dug her heels in and rallied the others to join her in terms that belied her reputation as a soft-spoken lawmaker.  <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe pointed at all of us and says, \u2018Nobody talks to us like that,\u2019 and \u2018We\u2019re not folding, we\u2019re going to get everything we need out of this,\u2019\u201d LaLota said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim, a South Korea-born lawmaker who represents one of the competitive districts in the country, normally avoids swearing in public, she told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.\u00a0 But she broke that rule. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I said, \u2018Bulls***,\u2019\u201d Kim recalled. \u201cI\u2019m using the four-letter words, and I\u2019m supposed to be a very nice, submissive, quiet Asian-American female, you know, but I just, I guess, shattered all of their thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLike, \u2018Oh my God! If she\u2019s using four-letter words, this must be really serious,\u2019\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaLota said it was a \u201crallying cry\u201d for the saltiest five negotiators.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, Lawler recounted that Trump locked eyes with him during the fateful speech.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was sitting kind of fourth row, dead center, looking at the podium that he was speaking from, and a few minutes into the meeting, he, you know, caught my eye and effectively started going down the path of telling me that I just have to accept that SALT wasn\u2019t going to happen in the bill,\u201d Lawler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe kept going on and on and on about SALT and how bad the blue states are, and it\u2019s a tax giveaway to the blue states,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/big-beautiful-bill\/\"><strong>HOW THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL BECAME LAW: READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER\u2019S 10-PART SERIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House Majority Whip <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tom-emmer\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4898\">Tom Emmer<\/a> (R-MN) characterized the Trump-Lawler exchange as \u201ca great back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Trump said he knew Lawler\u2019s district better than he did, the congressman, who is known to take on lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, said that there was a \u201cquite extensive\u201d back-and-forth. At one point, then-Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marjorie-taylor-greene\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"776\">Marjorie Taylor Greene <\/a>(R-GA) jumped into the fray and said the president never promised to lift the SALT cap.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I corrected her and pointed out that, in fact, he did campaign on lifting the cap on SALT when he was in Nassau County doing a rally,\u201d said Lawler, who represents a district won by Kamala Harris in 2024. \u201cHe talked about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawler said that as Trump met with the conference and spoke about SALT, he was actively texting House Speaker <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"7043\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA) and Trump\u2019s staff to make it clear that he was not changing his position.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd in fact, if they proceed forward without changing the text from what the Ways and Means Committee put forth, I would be a no on the bill,\u201d Lawler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Garbarino and LaLota told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that they would also have voted no on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act if it didn\u2019t contain agreeable changes to the SALT cap. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWould we have voted against the bill if it didn\u2019t have SALT in it? I would,\u201d Garbarino said. \u201cI know I would have. I mean, if it kept the cap at 10, I would have had to have \u2014 I would be packing my desk up already.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, a dozen House Republicans from high-tax states such as California and New York voted against the first Trump tax cut bill because it capped the SALT deduction. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-you-get-the-football-you-run-as-hard-as-you-can\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018You get the football, you run as hard as you can\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Negotiations over the SALT cap were some of the trickiest that Republicans faced in advancing the fiscal overhaul through reconciliation, a legislative process that allows bills to bypass the filibuster and pass with only a simple majority in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The majority of House Republicans and all Senate Republicans not only oppose raising the cap on SALT deductions but also favor eliminating the deductions altogether. They argue that allowing filers to deduct state and local taxes from their federal taxable income only subsidizes excess spending on the part of liberal states such as New York and California.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And to raise from $10,000 to $40,000 was a big process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SALT agreement is an increase from the amount the Ways and Means Committee approved during markup. That bill agreed to increase the $10,000 SALT cap to $30,000 for married couples and set an income limit of $400,000. While the proposal would have tripled the SALT cap, the five \u201csaltiest\u201d Republicans remained steadfast, maintaining that $30,000 was too low.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the only supporter of raising the SALT cap who was also on the Ways and Means Committee during this process was Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY). She told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that $30,000 was a good get given the makeup of the committee, and compared the process to a football or a basketball game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne out of 27 wanted SALT,\u201d Malliotakis said of negotiations in Ways and Means.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou get the football, you run as hard as you can, and then you know somebody else takes it,\u201d she said of her efforts. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the core five saltiest members wanted more than what Ways and Means had proposed. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Malliotakis joked that at one point she was almost evicted from the SALT caucus. \u201cI was voted off the island,\u201d she quipped.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\">Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) speaks on April 15, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26139691393530-e1780953157443.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) speaks on April 15, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim said that, for her in particular, the stakes were high, which was why she and the other four \u201csaltiest\u201d members were so dug in on getting an even higher cap.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is because, similar to New York, California is a high-tax state whose residents would disproportionately benefit from raising the cap, unlike those in states such as Texas. And while New York had representation in the caucus from Lawler, LaLota, and Garbarino, she was the only one from the Golden State.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was representing the entire state of California by then,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said that there was a lot of weight on her shoulders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI knew we needed to get this done, even to much of the criticism that I was hearing back home: \u2018Why are you holding up the bill? What\u2019s wrong with the whole bill?\u2019 I go, \u2018I\u2019m not voting it down; it\u2019s just I\u2019m fighting for you guys,\u2019\u201d Kim said. \u201cThis is something I ran on.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-raised-voices-in-the-negotiations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Raised voices\u2019 in the negotiations<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Garbarino said the negotiations would get quite passionate at times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s always raised voices when you deal with a bunch of New Yorkers,\u201d he joked. \u201cDefinitely people walked out, people, you know, didn\u2019t come back \u2014 I mean, you had different people fighting at different points.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Garbarino said that the only people who kept their calm most of the time during negotiations were the leadership suite \u2014 Johnson, Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/steve-scalise\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1757\">Steve Scalise<\/a> (R-LA), and Whip Tom Emmer.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think we yelled at each other, that\u2019s not right, but we definitely got frustrated and passions \u2014 I mean, I heard Kim curse once, I mean, Young Kim doesn\u2019t curse, so \u2026 people definitely got heated, passionate,\u201d Garbarino said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Homeland Security Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/markwayne-mullin\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"21441\">Markwayne Mullin<\/a>, who was then a GOP senator from Oklahoma, acted as a go-between during negotiations with SALT members and the Senate. Notably, no Republicans on the Senate side were fans of raising the $10,000 SALT cap, but negotiators knew there had to be changes because, without the SALT caucus, they wouldn\u2019t have enough votes in the House to pass the bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaLota described Mullin as \u201can ambassador of sorts\u201d who had a \u201chigh degree of trust\u201d among House members. Before Mullin became a senator in 2023, he spent a decade in the House and had forged relationships with many who are still in the lower chamber.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe was great to work with,\u201d Garbarino said of Mullin. \u201cI mean, he knew we had to get something done, so he was trying to convince his colleagues that this was something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the meetings and during her interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, Kim wore a pin featuring literal salt. She even had salt packets that she would hand out to remind everyone exactly what her priorities were.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-everyone-had-a-different-role-to-play\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Everyone had \u2018a different role to play\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a deal was closing in, Lawler said the team was at the Treasury Department three times within 24 hours. There was a strategy to the negotiations, and the SALT team was in constant communication.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNick, for instance, can be a hard-charging bull at times, and you know played that role appropriately throughout,\u201d Lawler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, LaLota said that he skipped the last of the three meetings that led to the deal being inked. He said that was partially a negotiating tactic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaLota said that, after the second meeting, he felt the other side was trying to paint the SALT lawmakers into a corner, so he boycotted the next meeting in protest. He said that, with the benefit of hindsight, that \u201ckind of solidified our position.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\">U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., speaks at a town hall, Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Somers, N.Y. (AP Photo\/Jessica Hill)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/salt-cap-win.webp?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., speaks at a town hall, Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Somers, N.Y. (AP Photo\/Jessica Hill)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEverybody in the negotiating team had a different role to play,\u201d he said. \u201cI was the bad cop a couple different times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim said that despite LaLota\u2019s absence, he was still listening in on the meeting on speaker phone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawler said that Kim, who is always \u201cvery professional, very courteous,\u201d got \u201cheated\u201d at times during the negotiations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I think, frankly, that was good \u2014 it showed that we were not going to buckle and not going to cave,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group also had a couple of different group chats to discuss strategy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe started with the larger SALT caucus group chat, and then it started getting smaller and smaller,\u201d Kim said, until it was just the \u201cbig five.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim said one of the group chats was titled \u201csaltiest\u201d and consisted of her, Lawler, LaLota, Garbarino, and Kean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LaLota said that the group chats evolved over time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDifferent members throughout the last couple of years had expressed an interest to be supportive, but ultimately the five of us were the ride-or-die group, ultimately, the five of us weren\u2019t going to cave in until we got the $40,000 that we were bargaining for,\u201d LaLota said. \u201cSo yes, there was a decent group chat amongst us.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-deal-is-struck\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A deal is struck<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the end, the deal that was reached raised the SALT cap to $40,000 for five years and included a $500,000 income threshold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Garbarino said getting the cap to $40,000 was a big deal for his district, even with the five-year sunset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think we\u2019re very happy with what we got, rather than $30,000 forever, because the $40,000 really covers a lot of people, especially my district and other districts,\u201d Garbarino said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He pointed out that the standard deduction for a married couple is now just over $32,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo, I mean, it would have been less than what the state deduction is,\u201d Garbarino said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also said the $500,000 income threshold cap helped dispel arguments that the changes primarily benefited millionaires and billionaires. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) said that\u00a0several SALT members have told him since passage that his permanent remedy\u00a0\u201cwould have been better\u201d than the final version.\u00a0\u201cNo one knows what\u2019s going to happen in five years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim made a point of highlighting how Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/elise-stefanik\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1918\">Elise Stefanik<\/a> (R-NY), a close ally of Trump, got significantly involved near the end and helped the caucus reach a deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShe came in, and then of course, in one of our last few meetings, it really helped that she was there,\u201d Kim said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Treasury Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/scott-bessent\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11700\">Scott Bessent<\/a>, who was heavily involved in the SALT talks, noted that the House had to battle with the Senate, which \u201chad no interest in SALT.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThose blue-state Republicans did a fantastic job of representing their constituency,\u201d Bessent told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-lankford\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"966\">James Lankford<\/a> (R-OK) said of the House SALT members, \u201cWe all understood their perspective, where they were, and what their constituents are feeling. They\u2019re representing their constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Garbarino recalled that after the deal was finally reached, he was happy to be done but \u201cmentally exhausted.\u201d Still, a group of those who negotiated the deal went out for drinks at Joe\u2019s Seafood, a high-end hot spot near the White House that is popular with lawmakers, lobbyists, and Washington power brokers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA few of us from the SALT states, as well as the White House \u2026 we walked out to [Joe\u2019s] and got a martini or a drink,\u201d Garbarino said. \u201cIt was mentally exhausting, so we went and had a nice cocktail afterwards \u2014 we earned it!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Garbarino had a martini, Lawler said he didn\u2019t remember exactly what he ordered, but surmised that it was probably a glass of red wine, if anything.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim said she didn\u2019t go out after the win because she doesn\u2019t drink.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I\u2019m like, \u2018Just don\u2019t do anything I wouldn\u2019t do\u2019 \u2014 I\u2019m a mom, I\u2019m a grandma,\u201d Kim joked. \u201c\u2018You know, I\u2019m watching you even though I\u2019m not there.\u2019 And then I sent them off to celebrate because we thought we got a good deal there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawler said he saw the president again the day after a deal was reached while in the Cabinet room to discuss other provisions in the bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe president once again kind of caught my eye, and he looked at me, says, \u2018You know, Lawler, you did a good job. You cut a good deal. You knew when to say yes, but you made it too big of a deal. All I heard was SALT, SALT, SALT, SALT.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I looked at him, and I said, \u2018Mr. \u201cPresident, I read The <em>Art of the Deal<\/em>,\u201d and he paused and said, \u2018You did a good job,\u2019\u201d Lawler recalled with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/lgreen\/\" type=\"mediapress_author\" id=\"12545\">Lauren Green<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/bcusack\/\" type=\"mediapress_author\" id=\"20031\">Bob Cusack<\/a> contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Members of the <\/em>Washington Examiner\u2019s<em> staff who have worked on this series over the past several months are Haris Alic, Hailey Bullis, Bob Cusack, Christian Datoc, James A. Downs, Gabrielle M. Etzel, Lauren Green, Zach Halaschak, Chris Irvine, Joseph Lawler, Naomi Lim, Maydeen Merino, Callie Patteson, Mabinty Quarshie, Samantha-Jo Roth, David Sivak, and Ramsey Touchberry.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High-tax GOP group shaped major tax bill outcome<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3360,"featured_media":2635981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-5.png?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3895,6203,39259,5894,3634],"class_list":["post-2635980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bill","tag-gop","tag-lawmaking","tag-politics","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-5.png?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2635980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3360"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2635980"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2635980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2635985,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2635980\/revisions\/2635985"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2635981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2635980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2635980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2635980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}