🏆 “$250K Is NOT Middle Class”: Help Me Expose My Congressman’s SALT Cap Spin

“Middle-class relief? Not for your family.”

Dear Kos community,

I just got a glossy letter from a Republican Congressman—and it’s packed with half-truths, manipulative framing, and what I know are outright lies about taxes, Medicaid, and who actually benefits from the so-called “One Big (aka Horrific) Bill.”

Here’s what he claims:

• The State and  Local Tax Deduction or SALT cap was quadrupled to $40,000 for “middle-class” families earning $250,000

• This delivers “$5,016 in tax relief” to homeowners paying $18,000 in property taxes

• The bill protects “working families,” expands the child tax credit, and avoids a $1,700 tax hike

• It “ensures illegal aliens do not have access to Medicaid” and requires 80 hours of work for able-bodied adults on Medicaid

• It “preserves the top tax rate at 37%” so the wealthy don’t get tax cuts

He even called it “the most significant middle-class tax relief in a generation.”

🚨 But here's the thing:

• $250,000 is not middle class for Long Island’s working families. That’s upper-middle or affluent.

• Most renters get nothing from a SALT deduction increase.

• Requiring 80 hours of work for Medicaid is a cruelty cloaked in paperwork—ripping care from the sick, single parents, and the working poor through red tape.  By the way who are the ‘poor’ in America? www.youtube.com/...

• Calling this “pro-worker” while gutting safety nets and reinforcing inequality? That’s spin.

👉 But I don’t know all the policy details—and that’s where I need you.

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📣 Can you help me fact-check these claims?

I want to write a truth-telling public response to his letter—maybe even submit it as an op-ed or open letter. But I want it to be airtight.

I’m looking for help with:

• What’s factually wrong or misleading in his SALT deduction framing?

• How does this bill actually affect working-class Long Islanders, renters, or those earning under $100K?

• Is this bill truly “pro-worker” or just a handout for upper-income voters before an election?

Any links to expert analysis (e.g., from Robert Reich,  Center for American Progress, Economic Policy Institute, etc.) would help immensely. If you’ve already debunked this somewhere, please drop the link!

🔥 Call to Action

If we don’t call out these manipulative half-truths, they become gospel.

If you can help, I’ll compile your feedback and publish a public rebuttal. Maybe it’ll help someone else who got this same letter and wasn’t sure what to believe.

Thanks in advance for helping me hold the line on truth.

—Hanna 
Story-based coach. Tired of being gaslit. 

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Full Letter from Congressman (for reference)

Dear Neighbor, It’s official—the SALT cap was just quadrupled to $40,000! Now, a family earning $250,000 and paying $18,000 in property taxes will receive $5,016 in additional tax relief when they file their 2025 taxes in early 2026, according to Bloomberg. After three years of pushing and negotiating, I’m proud to report that the House included five years of my $40,000 SALT cap fix in the One Big Bill—and President Trump just signed it into law. This legislation delivers the most significant middle-class tax relief in a generation, and it’s packed with wins for Long Island families: Quadruples the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for five years Boosts the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 Reduces taxes on tips, overtime, and car loan interest Protects Social Security and Medicare Avoids a $1,700 tax hike—eight weeks of groceries for many families Preserves the top income tax rate at 37%—no tax cut for the highest earners The SALT fight was the toughest legislative battle of my time in Congress. Some on the right called it a “blue state bailout.” Some on the left dismissed it as “welfare for the wealthy.” But I didn’t back down.  I fought tooth and nail—and now Long Island families will finally get the relief they’ve been waiting for. The One Big Bill also: Expands 529 accounts to cover job training and apprenticeships Creates newborn and childcare savings accounts Invests billions in shipbuilding, maritime jobs, and defense workforce training -bringing good jobs to Long Island Supports East End farmers with expanded crop insurance and specialty crop grants Secures the border and boosts resources for law enforcement and public safety The One Big Bill responsibly reforms Medicaid by: Ensuring illegal aliens do not have access to Medicaid Requiring 80 hours of work for able-bodied adults on Medicaid Ending the Medicaid gimmick that let states game the system—so resources go to those who truly need them This bill is pro-family, pro-worker, and pro-growth. It delivers what working families actually need: lower taxes, more take-home pay, expanded savings options, and real accountability in government programs. Do you support the provisions in the One Big Bill? YES NO NOT SURE - TELL ME MORE Submit Click here to take Survey We stood strong against gimmicks and politics to deliver direct, measurable relief for Long Island. That’s what leadership looks like—and that’s what this moment demands.

More soon, Rep. Nick LaLota Member of Congress Proudly Serving Suffolk County in Washington, D.C.