Republican backs push to repeal part of Trump bill days after voting for it
Representative Troy Nehls, a Texas
Republican, told
Newsweek why he is cosponsoring a bill to repeal a measure included in President
Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
"While I proudly voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which prevents the largest tax hike in American history, the
Senate's version contained a provision that I strongly disagree with," Nehls told
Newsweek in a statement.
Nehls is the first Republican to cosponsor the FAIR BET Act, introduced by Representative Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat. The bill aims to reverse a measure added by Senate
Republicans that would reduce the amount of losses gamblers can deduct from their taxes from 100 percent to 90 percent.
In simple terms, this means that if a gambler loses $10,000 during a trip to Las Vegas but wins back $10,000 on a trip later in the year, they would still have to pay taxes on $1,000 in losses.
He continued, "Prior to the passage of the OBBBA, the tax code contained a 100% deduction for gambling losses and expenses up to the amount of the individual's winnings. This deduction was not changed in the House-passed version of the bill. The Senate, unfortunately, included a provision in their version of the legislation that reduced the allowable deduction to 90%, creating an overly punitive tax on gambling. This provision is unfair, which is exactly why I am a cosponsor of Rep. Dina Titus' FAIR BET Act."
Why It Matters
Nehls' support for the FAIR BET Act highlights how some Republicans voted for the bill despite not agreeing with every single measure in the reconciliation package. It's not uncommon for lawmakers often vote in support of large bills even if they view the legislation as imperfect, as they may support other parts of the bill.
Critics say the measure included in Trump's would harm the gambling industry, result in players reporting taxable income even if they have net losses and potentially undermine tax compliance.
