New York Reps. Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota and Mike Lawler fought to secure SALT relief in the House’s tax bill. After looking to reduce the deduction for state and local taxes, the Senate seems likely to weaken the House provision. Our representatives must hold the line. New York families are counting on them to ensure that a permanent $40,000 cap remains in the final reconciliation package — no rollbacks, no concessions.

At The Trans Group, we employ nearly 2,000 New Yorkers, many in Suffolk and Nassau counties, providing school transportation services across the state. Like any local business owner, I care deeply about keeping our workforce strong, our operations stable, and our communities affordable. But for too long, New Yorkers have been stuck paying more than their fair share in federal taxes because of the cap on SALT.

The cap was part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That law delivered many important benefits — it lowered rates, encouraged investment, and modernized parts of the tax code. But the SALT cap cost middle-income families in high-cost states like New York. Thousands of homeowners, teachers, police officers, and small business employees have lost out on critical deductions, while facing high property taxes and rising living costs.

Congress must fix this. The upcoming reconciliation package is our best opportunity to restore fairness to the tax code by maintaining the $40,000 SALT cap exactly as negotiated in the House. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, this relief would cost about $350 billion over the next decade — a reflection of just how many families and workers are affected.

For businesses like mine, SALT relief would also make it easier to recruit and retain employees. When our drivers, mechanics, and office staff can afford to live where they work, that stability benefits everyone. It means better service for our school districts and more opportunity for our workers.

Every policy decision affects how small and mid-sized employers plan for the future. Driver shortages are a constant challenge in school transportation. When we can’t fill routes, it affects hundreds of families. Fixing SALT won’t solve every issue, but it would absolutely help us compete with other employers and retain experienced workers who want to stay in New York.

This isn’t about special treatment for one state. It’s about fairness. The House took the right step. Now its members — especially from New York — must finish the job and make sure SALT relief stays in the final package.

This guest essay reflects the views of John Corr, owner of The Trans Group, a group of bus transportation companies based in Copiague.