Ed Tibbetts, a longtime reporter and editor in the Quad-Cities, is the publisher of the Along the Mississippi newsletter, where this article first appeared. Find more of his work at edtibbetts.substack.com. He and Laura Belin are also among the contributors to the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative podcast, Iowa Down Ballot. On the latest episode, they discussed the first and third Congressional district campaigns, a state audit on nursing home inspections, and more.
For much of this week, I’ve been waiting for U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa to complain about former President Donald Trump’s latest campaign promise, which would pile hundreds of billions of dollars onto the already bulging national debt.
I searched news reports and her X/Twitter account. But so far: Zip.
You’d think she’d say something, right? I mean, Ernst is famous for caring about budget discipline. Isn’t she?
Surely, she wouldn’t stay quiet about a move that would cost the federal treasury more than $1 trillion over 10 years.
Here’s what’s going on: Trump was campaigning in New York this week, and on his social media network he promised that he would “get SALT back.” This refers to the State and Local Tax deduction, which was capped at $10,000 in the ex-president’s 2017 tax law.
Democratic lawmakers in high tax states like New York hate the cap, and Axios reports Trump’s promise could help GOP candidates in tight elections there.
But what about all those Republicans who campaigned against this tax break back in the day and have lampooned Democrats for wanting to let the SALT cap expire? Like Joni Ernst.
Not only would Trump’s promise pile a whole lot more debt onto future generations, but it also would deliver a massive tax break for the wealthy. In blue states!
According to a recent MarketWatch article, people in six states would benefit the most, including New York, California, and New Jersey.
Guess who wasn’t on that list: Iowa.
Axios reported that removing the $10,000 SALT cap would cost the federal treasury $1.2 trillion over a decade, and 92 percent of the benefit would go to the top 10 percent of earners, citing the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Last year, Ernst complained about Democrats trying to get rid of the SALT cap, tweeting they wanted to give “wealthy coastal elites” a “massive” tax break.
Yet, what has she said about Trump’s new promise to give wealthy coastal elites a massive tax break?
I have yet to hear a word.
Yes, I realize Ernst’s worries about budget discipline and tax fairness are selective. She voted for the 2017 Trump tax cut that added almost $2 trillion to the debt over ten years and provided most of its benefit to the wealthy. But in Ernst’s own words, it’s “wealthy coastal elites” who will gain the most from the former president’s new stance. Not Iowans. So, why isn’t she standing up for us?
Surely, our senator wouldn’t acquiesce to a Trump campaign promise that would help wealthy people in blue states and make future generations shoulder an even heavier debt burden. Would she?
Top photo: Senator Joni Ernst speaks during U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship hearing on September 18. Photo originally published on her official Facebook page.