Letters

Regarding The Express News Group editorial finding favor with Congressman Nick LaLota’s fighting for the return of the SALT deduction [“Standing Tall,” May 22]: Yes, even I can give Mr. LaLota a nod of appreciation. But the fight is not over. In the end, Democratic senators from blue states will need to convince their Republican counterparts to provide for state and local tax deductions (SALT) in the Senate’s version of the budget.

Less-than-encouraging words about the revival of SALT were spoken by the Senate’s Majority Whip, Wyoming Republican U.S. Senator John Barrasso, who was quoted in Marketwatch.com: “That’s an area where we understand their situation, but we don’t have that same pressure or problem. We have other issues with other members that we’ve got to focus on.”

Spoken like someone who voted for the 2017 Donald Trump-supported bill that eliminated SALT in the first place.

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” that returns SALT to beleaguered Long Island taxpayers is utterly damaging to Medicare and Medicaid. For Medicare, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports: “According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the recent budget reconciliation bill, if enacted, could trigger over $500 billion in cuts to Medicare due to sequestration rules.”

Regarding Medicaid, the widely respected Kenneth Raske from the Greater New York Hospital Association paints a dire picture for New York State health care: “These proposals will strip health coverage from millions of hardworking individuals, drive up uncompensated care costs for financially struggling hospitals, and shift unsustainable costs to New York State. … This will harm all patients, not just those with Medicaid coverage. These proposals will wreck New York’s hospital system.”

Last October, in a move to show his concern for health care affordability, Congressman LaLota ran ads in The Southampton Press extolling a piece of legislation called the HOPE (Health Out of Pocket Expense) Act. This act would allow those with extra cash to open individual accounts to help pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses — that would not be individuals cut from Medicaid roles. (Note: Read up on the 2020 No Surprise Act, which offers some protection similar to HOPE.)

Given Mr. Raske’s assessment, Mr. LaLota should turn his efforts to protecting his constituents from onerous Medicare and Medicaid cuts.

Mike Anthony

Westhampton

Anthony is a former chair of the Southampton Democratic Committee — Ed.