Malliotakis meets with Trump; president-elect makes ‘clear’ he wants to stop congestion pricing

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said she had a “productive” meeting with incoming President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago this weekend.

The congresswoman said she, along with a contingent of other Republican House members, discussed a variety of topics with Trump, including state and local tax (SALT) deductions, congestion pricing, the World Trade Center Health Program, and more, ahead of “the upcoming reconciliation package.”

Congestion Pricing

When it comes to the recently instituted congestion pricing for drivers in Manhattan’s Central Business District in the streets below 60th Street, Malliotakis confirmed that Trump “does not like congestion pricing” and made it “clear” he wants to stop it.

They are “trying to find a federal solution to a problem that was created by the state,” and are “working with the president on the legal angle for him to reverse it,” Malliotakis told the Advance/SILive.com.

“He [Trump] understands the negative impact this has on New York City’s economy and on working families, firefighters, police officers, nurses, restaurant workers. People have to go in for health care, health appointments, chemotherapy. They’re getting crushed with this tax,” she explained.

Congestion pricing went into effect last Sunday, Jan. 5, after an extended period of protests, lawsuits, and outrage from residents in New York and New Jersey.

Malliotakis confirmed there is a lawsuit ongoing in an attempt to end congestion pricing, and that their “day in court” is coming.

According to her website, “Malliotakis is a plaintiff in one of the ongoing lawsuits against Congestion Pricing with UFT [United Federation of Teachers] and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella. The Federal Judge in that case denied an injunction on December 23, 2024.”

Upon the implementation of congestion pricing, there is a lower toll than first proposed. Originally, drivers would have been charged $15 for entering the zone. Gov. Kathy Hochul said her initial opposition to the program was due to the high cost for working New Yorkers. Under the new iteration, most drivers pay a toll of $9 when entering the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), which is any surface street in Manhattan south of 60th Street.

Drivers entering the CRZ will pay a fee that varies depending on vehicle type and time of day.

During the daytime, defined as 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, drivers with E-ZPass pay the following:

• Passenger vehicles (once per day): $9
• Motorcycles (once per day): $4.50
• Small trucks and non-commuter buses: $14.40
• Large trucks and sightseeing buses: $21.60

Drivers without E-ZPass will pay even more. Passenger vehicles are charged $13.50 and motorcycles have to pay $6.75 if a driver uses Tolls by Mail.

World Trade Center Health Program

The WTC Health Program is financially supported by the government through 2027, but funding beyond that year was excluded from a federal continuing resolution passed in December 2024.

Malliotakis previously told the Advance/SILive.com that discussing continued funding for the program beyond 2027 was a “priority” for her in her meeting with Trump.

She also discussed the issue with the incoming president and had this to say after her meeting with Trump: “I think we’ll see a solution on that in the near future. Everyone’s on the same page of wanting to ensure that our 9/11 heroes get the health care that they need.”

SALT Deductions

The SALT deduction was capped for many New Yorkers when Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed. SALT, which began in 1913 according to the Bipartisan Policy Center, “allows taxpayers to subtract a portion of their state and local property taxes, income taxes, and/or sales taxes from their federal taxable income.”

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act put a $10,000 limit on the SALT deduction, the first of its kind, creating contention between Democrats, Republicans and taxpaying citizens.

While some Democrats — including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer — are fine with the cap expiring later this year, Malliotakis said, “the cap won’t be completely lifted.” Malliotakis wants the cap to stay in play, but with a higher figure for taxpayers to claim.

She additionally pointed a finger at Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams for the “tax burden that’s created by the city and state.”

Malliotakis additionally expressed that she wants to lessen tax burdens on seniors.

The cap is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2025, but Trump, Malliotakis, and other House Republicans are looking to boost the cap once Trump is reinaugurated into office.

Malliotakis said that a variety of numbers were discussed on what to raise the cap to: “The low number would be doubling it to 20[,000]. The high number would be a 100,000; [that] is what some of the New Yorkers are advocating for. I think that’s a little too high, personally. I think that if we want to focus it on the middle class, it’s got to be somewhere in the middle.”