January Wrap-up

Above: Gottheimer announces new actions to cut taxes and restore the SALT deduction.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer, Co-Chair of the Congressional SALT Caucus, announced the reintroduction of the Securing Access to Lower Taxes by Ensuring Deductibility Act, bipartisan legislation to fully restore the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction. The proposal will allow taxpayers to fully deduct their state and local taxes on their federal income return, ending double taxation and giving middle-class families in Northern New Jersey a much needed tax cut.

The announcement follows the bipartisan SALT Caucus meeting this week, where Members discussed strategy to restore the SALT Deduction ahead of upcoming tax bill negotiations.

“I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fully restore the SALT Deduction and give Jersey families a much-needed tax cut. In North Jersey, SALT is a middle class issue, and restoring the deduction will get more dollars back into the pockets of hard-working families who are already struggling with higher costs,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer. “We need to make life more affordable for Jersey families — and I won’t stop fighting until we cut taxes and get this done.”

Above: Gottheimer fights New York’s Congestion Tax.

U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) reintroduced a bipartisan legislative package to end New York’s crushing Congestion Tax, stand up for hardworking families, and hold the woefully mismanaged Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) accountable. 

“When costs are already high, it is utterly absurd to me that New York and the MTA are whacking hardworking commuters with a crushing, regressive $9 Congestion Tax that will cost more than $2,300 a year,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I’m not going to sit around and let the MTA balance their woefully mismanaged, out-of-control budget by picking the pockets of Jersey and New York families — our bipartisan legislation will put a stop to the MTA’s cash grab and hold them accountable.”

Bipartisan Bills to End New York’s Congestion Tax and Hold the MTA Accountable: 

• The Anti-Congestion Tax Act, which Gottheimer introduced with Congressman Van Drew, prohibits the Department of Transportation from awarding any new grants to MTA projects in New York until drivers from all New Jersey and New York crossings into Manhattan receive exemptions from any Congestion Tax. This will directly stop the MTA from costing the Port Authority millions if it insists on its nine-dollar-a-day tax.
• The Make Transportation Authorities Accountable and Transparent Act, which Gottheimer co-led with Congresswoman Malliotakis, requires the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct a full audit of the MTA to see how it has spent billions in federal assistance over the past five years.
• The Economic Impact of Tolling Act, which Gottheimer co-led with Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, prohibits the Department of Transportation from enacting the Congestion Tax until an economic impact analysis is completed and made available to the public.

U.S. Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) and John Rutherford (FL-05) relaunched the House Law Enforcement Caucus, a bipartisan group focused on getting the backs of the law enforcement community. The House Law Enforcement Caucus was created in 1994 to address issues facing the law enforcement community — including fighting for greater funding, support, and coordination for our first responders. Gottheimer was previously announced as Co-Chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus last Congress.

“Everyday, our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep our families and communities safe. Our first responders are the best in the world, and I am proud to continue getting their backs as the Co-Chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Relaunching this bipartisan caucus demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that our brave officers across the country always have a voice in Congress. The bottom line, when it comes to law enforcement, we must invest to protect — we must fund, not defund.”

Gottheimer is also Vice Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, where he works to bring Democrats and Republicans together across party lines to find areas of agreement on key issues facing the nation.

Above: Gottheimer with NJ-5 students at the Korean American Grassroots Conference in recognition of the 2025 Korean American Day on Capitol Hill

Congressman Josh Gottheimer joined the Korean American Grassroots Conference to celebrate Korean American Day. 

“On Korean American Day, we celebrate a key part of North Jersey’s strength — our proud Korean American community — who work every day to make the Fifth District an even better place to live, raise our families, and do business,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer, an Associate Member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). “I’ll never stop working in Washington, at home in Jersey, and in the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to make life more affordable and better for North Jersey’s Korean-American families and small business owners.” 

Gottheimer’s work to support the Korean-American community includes:

• Last Congress, Gottheimer helped pass and sign into law the bipartisan Korean American VALOR Act, which ensures that thousands of South Korean immigrants who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea alongside Americans during the Vietnam War and have since become naturalized U.S. citizens to be eligible for healthcare services through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Gottheimer has fought to pass a bipartisan resolution he helped introduce to declare Korean American Day a national holiday.
• Gottheimer has worked with the Korean American community and business leaders from North Jersey, including representatives from KAGC, to support small businesses, lower taxes, keep communities safe, help make life more affordable, and combat hate against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

As always, if you’re experiencing an issue with a federal agency, Congressman Gottheimer's Constituent Service team is here to listen & help with VA benefits, Social Security, Medicare, & much more.

Call at 201-389-1100 or email [email protected].

You can also follow Congressman Gottheimer's Twitter here, Facebook here, and Instagram here.

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