The largest police union in the country has issued an endorsement of key provisions of the President Donald Trump-backed “big, beautiful” budget bill.
National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Patrick Yoes announced strong support for the bill on Wednesday evening, saying “the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ is more than legislation—it is a promise kept to the public safety officers across the country and a bold step toward an economy that respects, rewards, and uplifts the people who keep it safe.”
Yoes expressed strong support for two provisions in the bill, a tax deduction for overtime pay and an increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which the FOP said are important to the rank-and-file members of the 377,000-member organization.
The FOP president praised the leadership of Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson for passing the bill in Congress.
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US President Donald Trump and National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes speak during a “Make America Great Again” campaign rally at Harrisburg international airport in Middletown, Pensylvania on September 26, 2020. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty images)
The bill passed the House after an all-night debate last week in which Republicans squeezed out a victory in a 215-214 vote. The bill now faces significant opposition from Democrats and some Republicans in the Senate.
“President Trump first proposed the elimination of Federal income taxes on overtime while still a candidate, and we are very pleased that a similar provision is included in the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,’” Yoes said.
Regarding the bill’s increase in SALT deductions, the FOP praised portions of the big, beautiful bill that would create a tax deduction for income taxes on overtime earnings for those who earn less than $160,000 per year as well as increase the SALT deduction to $40,000 for all taxpayers earning less than $500,000 per year.
SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and their surrounding areas. Republicans representing those areas have framed raising the SALT deduction cap as an existential issue, arguing that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms.
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Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan was convicted Wednesday of racketeering, bribery, fraud and giving false statements to investigators. (iStock)
Meanwhile, Republicans representing lower-tax states are largely wary of raising the deduction cap, believing that it incentivizes blue states’ high-tax policies.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., told Fox News that he is hopeful the Senate would address the SALT deductions, positing that the provision would add $385 billion to U.S. deficit spending.
Yoes, however, said “the current cap on SALT deductions uniquely and unfairly penalizes law enforcement officers, who often are required to live within a certain distance of the jurisdictions they serve—removing a valuable mechanism that allowed for a reduction in their cost of living.”
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Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, speaks to a crowd in Washington, D.C., on August 8, 2022 (Fox News Digital/Stephanie Pagones)
He said the SALT deduction is also “a valuable way of supporting local budgets as law enforcement agencies are facing an array of financial challenges associated with inflated costs of equipment, vehicles, and personnel, especially with respect to the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis.”
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“These are critical provisions to ensure those in the law enforcement profession have a better quality of life,” said Yoes. “We appreciate that President Trump is always fighting for our nation’s law enforcement officers.”
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