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Now, Lawler wants that cap lifted—essentially demanding that red-state taxpayers bail out blue-state recklessness. In a recent interview with POLITICO, Lawler threatened to tank the entire bill unless his SALT demands were met. “Unlike in 2017, where the Republicans had a big majority that could allow them to disregard the opinions of people like me and pass a bill that capped SALT at $10,000, they can’t do that this time,” he said.
Senator Kennedy had a clear message for Lawler and his band of grandstanding Republicans: you’re playing with fire.
Speaking on CNN, Kennedy defended the bill as a triple win for conservatives: “The ultimate objective here is, yes, to reduce spending. And I can come back to that,” he said, adding that Republicans must not lose focus on extending Trump’s tax cuts. “But number one is to extend the tax cuts. If we do not extend the tax cuts, on December 31st of this year, there will be a $4.3 trillion increase on the American people. Hundreds of thousands of people will be thrown out of work, a lot of those will end up living, I don’t know, living in a refrigerator box behind Outback.”
That’s not hyperbole. If the Trump-era tax cuts aren’t extended, Americans face one of the largest tax hikes in history—right as the economy teeters under the weight of Bidenflation.
Lawler’s demands aren’t just blocking tax relief. His opposition also jeopardizes critical national security provisions in the bill, including funding for mass deportations, expanding ICE detention space, and hiring more immigration judges to expedite the process.
Additionally, the legislation includes $1.5 trillion in spending cuts—exactly the kind of fiscal responsibility Republicans have promised voters for years. Moody’s recently downgraded the U.S. credit outlook over concerns about ballooning debt. Slashing spending isn’t optional; it’s survival.
Kennedy emphasized the urgency: “The second objective. Is reducing spending. That will lower prices. It will. It’ll lower interest rates. I’m asked all the time, Kasie, see how much spending do you want to reduce? I want to reduce as much spending as we can until we run out of votes. But everybody’s not going to walk away from this happy, you can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and we’ll never get it resolved until Trump weighs in.”
Let’s be honest—this isn’t about good policy. It’s about protecting wealthy blue-state donors from the consequences of their own decisions. Lawler and his fellow RINOs would rather sabotage a conservative victory than risk upsetting liberal elites in their districts.
Meanwhile, everyday Americans are struggling under Biden’s inflation and mounting debt. This bill represents a chance to cut spending, secure the border, and extend critical tax relief. That’s what the GOP promised.
And Kennedy isn’t backing down. Neither should conservatives.
