Cities Urge Congress to Fix Flawed Tax Bill

December 2, 2017 - (2 min read)

WASHINGTON — December 2, 2017 — Early this morning, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). The bill lowers the corporate tax rate and doubles the standard deduction, but limits or eliminates some deductions, including those for state and local income and sales taxes. In response to today’s vote, National League of Cities (NLC) President Mark Stodola, mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, released the following statement:

“Cities have spoken loudly and clearly during the tax reform debate: Congress must not take away the critical tools cities need to balance their budgets, build infrastructure and provide essential services for our residents. While we welcome the Senate’s preservation of tax exemptions for municipal bonds and qualified private activity bonds, we are dismayed that the bill targets other bonds, eliminates key credits and greatly reduces the deductibility of state and local taxes.

“It is encouraging that amendments were introduced in the eleventh hour to address some problems of the bill, like one to preserve part of the property tax deduction. Congress has heard some of our concerns, and we thank the members who stood with cities. 

“As this bill heads to conference, Congress must take the time to fix this bill so it actually provides relief for American families. As we turn our efforts toward the reconciliation process for this bill and the appropriations process for the Federal Budget, cities need a federal partner that is willing to invest in the future of our communities. We are eager to work together to reform our tax code so that it benefits everyone, and strengthens America’s cities.”

More than 800 city leaders have already signed onto an action letter outlining NLC’s top-line priorities when it comes to tax reform and the federal budget. You can view the letter and signatures at www.nlc.org/StandWithCities.

NLC is also tracking top concerns regarding tax reform and providing updates on the status of legislation at www.nlc.org/TaxReform.

NLC is a founding member of Americans Against Double Taxation, a coalition of advocacy groups dedicated to preserving the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.

View NLC’s letter to Congress on tax reforms

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The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people across the country. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Stay connected with NLC on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.