Florida Rep. Greg Steube trumpeted a rare feat for a member of Congress on Sunday: one done in service to Florida taxpayers and others affected by national disasters.
The Sarasota Republican highlighted that his bill, “The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act,” moved toward a final vote via a discharge petition, meaning it could bypass the committee vetting system and receive an actual floor vote because a majority of lawmakers agreed to move it forward.
According to the congressman, his bill was only the third to get such consideration in the House in the last 30 years.
Read: Florida Rep. Greg Steube Rejects Idea Biden Would Pardon Trump
“I know how important this issue is to those in our district who were financially impacted by Hurricane Ian,” Syteube said in an email to constituents Sunday.
“Despite my bill already passing the House as part of the bipartisan tax package, we can’t continue to wait for relief while this package’s negotiations have stalled in the Senate. The discharge petition gives this critical legislation another chance in the legislative process.”
Steube ws referring to the fact that, as the Tampa Free Press reported in February, his bill was actually incorporated into the larger Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which has passed the House but stalled in the Senate.
His bill now has a chance to be considered as a stand-alone measure by the Senate.
“I am grateful for the motivation and support of 217 of my bipartisan colleagues as we join forces to deliver tax relief for Americans all across the country,” Steube added.
Such support, he said, was “a testament to how important this issue is for ALL of our constituents. Floridians have waited since 2022 to receive tax relief from Hurricane Ian, and many other Americans have waited just as long for relief from other disasters. I look forward to swift passage of my legislation on the House floor and urge expeditious consideration in the Senate.”
Steube’s bill would allow Americans hit by natural disasters such as hurricanes or wildfires to claim losses from those events without having to itemize their deductions.
In addition, those losses would not have to exceed 10% of a survivor’s adjusted gross income for them to qualify.
Moreover, Steube’s bill excludes any money an individual taxpayer receives as compensation for expenses or losses due to a disaster from being considered as gross income for income tax purposes.
That also includes payments for losses specific to the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.
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