BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Even as he runs to put in charge the same Washington Republicans who took it away, Senator Tom Kean Jr. asserted to the New Jersey Globe that he would “walk across the aisle to restore the SALT deduction.” The fact is, it was his side of the aisle that stripped New Jerseyans of their SALT deduction, Republicans in Congress who overwhelmingly voted against restoring it, and Senate Republicans who refused to even consider the bipartisan bill led by Congressman Malinowski.
“Tom Kean is voting to put them back in charge–he’ll never stand up to the Washington Republicans who tore our SALT deduction away. We can’t even rely on him to stand up to his party and demand to see Donald Trump’s tax returns, something that voters on both sides want and that even Trump promised to release,” said Malinowski Campaign Manager Daniel Fleiss
Kean, Jr’s loyalty is clear: not only did he have “a lot of concerns” about requiring presidential candidates to release their tax returns, but he thought it “set a dangerous precedent.” Kean voted against a bill in the New Jersey Senate that would require presidential candidates to disclose their federal income tax returns as a requirement of appearing on the New Jersey ballot. And his loyalty has been handsomely rewarded–Trump administration officials headline Kean’s fundraisers and even run a super PAC in support of him.
“Our district needs a representative who is a fighter,” said Fleiss. “For twenty years in Trenton the only person Tom Kean Jr. has ever fought for is himself and he isn’t going to change now.”
Congressman Malinowksi has made restoring the SALT deduction a central priority of his fight term; kicking off tax season in early 2019 with a constituent listening tour to hear feedback on the real life impacts of losing state and local deductibility. He has relentlessly pressed this issue with his own party leadership and successfully delivered a floor vote on restoring SALT deductibility at the end of last year.
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