October 09, 2020

Wyden Co-sponsors Legislation to Make Payroll Tax Deferral Optional, including for Military Members and Federal Employees

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would make Donald Trump’s payroll tax deferral scheme optional for any worker whose employer chooses to participate, including federal employees and service members.

“Donald Trump’s phony payroll tax cut is the worst kind of election-time gimmickry – deceiving American workers for a few weeks with a sham executive order and then saddling them with a post-election double tax in 2021,” said Wyden, ranking member  of the Senate Finance Committee. “This legislation is a must to restore working Americans’ ability to choose for themselves what works best financially for them and their families.”

In addition to Wyden, other co-sponsors of the Protecting Employees from Surprise Taxes Act introduced by U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) are U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Patty Murray (Wash.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Among the organizations supporting the legislation are the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the National Federation of Federal Employees, the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund, the Senior Executives Association, the Federal Managers Association, the Professional Managers Association, National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys, United Power Trades Organization, Antilles Consolidated Education Association, National Weather Service Employees Organization, Patent Office Professional Association, National Association of Government Employees, National Education Association, Social Security Works, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Americans for Tax Fairness, and National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.