Senate Republicans are signaling strong resistance to the House’s state and local tax (SALT) deduction deal, following a Wednesday meeting with former President Donald Trump at the White House. The opposition threatens to unravel a delicate compromise that helped secure crucial votes from moderate Republicans in the House.
According to Politico, Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized the lack of enthusiasm among Republican senators for the SALT provision, stating bluntly that “there really isn’t a single Republican senator who cares much about the SALT issue.” This stance poses a significant challenge to the $353 billion SALT deduction cap agreement that House Speaker Mike Johnson carefully negotiated.
During the White House meeting, Trump appeared mindful of the delicate vote calculations, with Senator Ron Johnson recalling the former president’s cautionary words: “You do this, do we lose three votes here? If you do that, do you lose three votes here?” This exchange highlighted the complex political mathematics involved in maintaining support for the broader legislation.
Senate Republicans push for permanent business tax cuts as their primary focus
While the SALT discussion occupied only a small portion of the White House meeting, Senate Republicans used their time with Trump to advocate for their main priority: making business tax cuts permanent. Senator Thune indicated this was a non-negotiable requirement for several members of his caucus.
The Republican GOP (oxymoron) is doing plenty… to torpedo President Trump’s agenda by not supporting him. They are basically part of the DC sewer system. They will lose the House in the midterms because the “status quo” is what they want. Kickbacks and DC Party Life!!
— Rusty Iron (@sparacio) May 4, 2025https://t.co/4GAJVORiUE
Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo emphasized the regional politics at play, noting that without Republican senators from New York, New Jersey, or California, there is little motivation to support what he characterized as a subsidy for high-tax states at the expense of others.
Despite their opposition to the SALT compromise, Senate Republicans acknowledge the precarious position of House Speaker Johnson, who must maintain his narrow majority. Senator Todd Young expressed this tension, noting that while the Senate wants to improve the House’s work, they understand the speaker’s limited room for maneuver.
The legislative negotiations are operating under heightened pressure, with Republicans working to meet a July 4 deadline for passing the bill. The timeline has been further complicated by public criticism from Trump ally Elon Musk, who recently labeled the bill an “abomination,” though senators indicated this criticism was treated lightly during the White House meeting.
