Frelinghuysen Explains Why He Voted 'No' On Tax Bill

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11), was one of twelve Republicans in the House to vote against the historic tax reform bill on Tuesday, which passed the House with otherwise broad Republican support and not a single "yes" vote from Democrats.

Frelinghuysen said he voted against it because the bill caps the deduction many New Jersey residents take on their taxes for state and local taxes. He also warned that should the tax bill become law, New Jersey's housing market will suffer.

“The people of New Jersey already carry an extremely heavy tax burden. They need and deserve tax cuts. Unfortunately, H.R. 1 caps the federal deduction for state and local taxes (SALT), which will lead to tax increases for far too many hardworking New Jersey families," said Frelinghuysen's office in a statement. "This legislation will also damage our state’s housing market and business environment.

“I had hoped to be able to vote for a pro-growth tax bill. However, H.R. 1 forces New Jersey residents to pay for tax cuts for residents in other states. I voted ‘No’!” he said.

Nearly all the Republicans who voted against the tax bill are from high-tax states, such as New Jersey, New York and California. Many New Jersey homeowners appreciate being able to deduct New Jersey's remarkably high property taxes. Trump's tax overhaul would limit how much people can now deduct, limiting it to a mere $10,000. Fellow New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith, who represents wealthy parts of Monmouth County, as well as Ocean and Mercer, also voted against the bill.

Speaker Paul Ryan apparently discussed removing Frelinghuysen as chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee after he broke with the party line last month on the tax bill, The Hill reported.

Trump narrowly won New Jersey's 11th district, and Frelinghuysen's seat is facing a growing challenge from Democrat Mikie Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor, Navy veteran and mother of four in Montclair. The election for the seat is in November 2018.