Lamborn wants to lift the deductions cap on coronavirus relief donations

By Joey Bunch- Colorado Politics

U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn thinks the $300 cap on charitable tax deductions spelled out in the last coronavirus relief package is too tight.

The Republican from Colorado Springs signed onto a bipartisan letter with 13 members making the request to House and Senate leadership asking them to waive the cap and extend the tax breaks into next year.

Lifting the cap will encourage more people to donate, the congressional members contend.

"Colorado Springs is home to many significant nonprofits that employ hundreds of Coloradans. Nonprofits are at the forefront of every disaster relief effort and provide services across the United States and the entire globe,” Lamborn said in a statement Tuesday. “During the coronavirus pandemic, these organizations serve as the backbone for our nation’s food banks, shelters and domestic violence centers that provide help for our most vulnerable. As our economy focuses on rebuilding, it is vital that we remove the cap on charitable giving, and enable these organizations to support our communities."

Lamborn is one of the three primary signatories, with Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. Lamborn is the only member of the Colorado delegation endorsing the request.

The letter calls nonprofits the backbone of their communities, "operating food banks, shelters, domestic violence services, houses of worship, early care and education centers, after-school facilities, just to name a few, that are called on to feed, house, and care for those whose lives have been disrupted by closures, job loss, and sickness caused by COVID-19."