A small group of Republicans from high-tax states held the fate of the biggest tax legislation in nearly a decade in the palm of their hands.

With a wire-thin majority in the House, the group of five knew that leadership needed all of their votes. If they banded together, they could use the entirety of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as leverage to get President Donald Trump and Republicans to agree to raise the $10,000 cap on deductions for state and local taxes, or SALT — the biggest tax priority for the group of Republicans, which included Reps. Mike Lawler (NY), Nick LaLota (NY), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Young Kim (CA), and Tom Kean (NJ).