ALBANY - They were called "Benedict Arnolds" by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Unions said they turned "their backs on working people." And five of their GOP colleagues voted the other way.

But four Republican House members from upstate New York were steadfast in their support of the tax bill approved Wednesday, saying it will lead to a tax cut for a large majority of constituents in their districts.

"By keeping more of their money, folks can now take a family trip, make repairs to the car, or save for a rainy day," Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, Steuben County, said in a statement.

Reed Rep. Chris Collins of the Buffalo area and central New York Reps. Claudia Tenney and John Katko voted for the bill Tuesday in Congress, helping their GOP colleagues get the first major bill passed under President Donald Trump.

The tax bill in Congress: What you need to know in NY

Vote explained

Tenney, R-New Hartford, Oneida County, opposed initial versions of the bill that would have either ended or severely limited residents' ability to deduct state and local taxes from their income taxes.

The final measure, though, includes up to a $10,000 deduction of state and local taxes, as well as preserving a historic tax credit that helps developers upgrade properties — a key provision for efforts to boost upstate's economy.

Those changes, as well as allowing for the deduction of medical expenses, were enough to gain Tenney's support for the bill.

"A family with two children earning $52,967, the median household income in the 22nd District, would save $1,458, while a single filer with one child and an income of $30,000 would save $834," she said in a statement about her district, which extends into the Southern Tier.

"This means New Yorkers will receive an immediate raise in their January paychecks."

Collins said the average family in his Buffalo-area district would pay $1,875 less in taxes next year thanks in part to a nearly doubling of the standard deduction and lower income-tax rates.

“While the liberal left has relied on fake news and deceptive studies in a failed attempt to derail tax reform, I’m proud to have joined House Republicans in fighting for working families in New York and across the country,” Collins said in a statement.

Upstate vs. downstate

New Yorkers who would likely get hurt by the tax bill are those with higher incomes who reside downstate — where property taxes alone can average more than $10,000.

In Westchester County, the average property-tax bill is $15,000 a year, for example.

But the upstate members — especially Reed and Collins, two conservatives in heavily Republican districts — said the tax bill benefits the majority of their constituents.

Still, opponents of the measure in New York said the tax bill would hurt the entire state, blasting the GOP members for not thinking about the state's interests.

The rich pay about 40 percent of New York's taxes, so if they get socked with higher taxes, they could move to lower taxed states — jeopardizing the state's revenue and ability to pay for programs and services.

New York already gives more than $40 billion more in tax revenue to Washington than it gets back, Cuomo said.

On Tuesday, Cuomo's Twitter account said:

"Republicans in the House have committed fraud against the American people. It is particularly shameful that @RepJohnKatko @RepChrisCollins @RepTomReed @RepTenney voted to take money from their constituents and send it to corporations and other states."

Said Mario Cilento, president of the AFL-CIO, "They have turned their backs on working people by voting for the tax bill, siding with the rich and powerful instead of middle-income taxpayers. They should be ashamed."

Divided NY House

Of nine GOP House members in New York, five from the eastern half of the state voted against the bill: Reps. Peter King and Lee Zeldin of Long Island; Dan Donovan of Staten Island; Elise Stefanik of the North Country; and John Faso of the upper Hudson Valley.

They were among just 12 GOP members in the House to vote against the bill. Six were from California and New Jersey — high-taxed states that would also be hurt by the limited state and local tax deductions.

Stefanik said the deduction of state and local taxes allowed under the bill wasn't enough to gain her support.

"Due to Albany's failed leadership and inability to rein in spending, New York is one of the highest taxed states in the country, and families here rely on this important deduction to make ends meet," she said in a statement.

Indeed, some of the GOP House members from New York put at least part of the blame for their vote on state government — saying New York is one of the most expensive states to live in.

"The SALT (state and local tax) deduction is so important because it shields New Yorkers from the oppressive burden Albany places on our taxpayers," Tenney said. "Governor Cuomo and Albany politicians have zero respect for the taxpayers."

Cuomo, though, countered that he has lowered income taxes and capped the growth of property taxes since taking office, saying the tax bill will undo his efforts.

"This is a tax bill where 60 percent of the benefit goes to the top 1 percent, period," Cuomo said. "Forget all the spin, forget all the politics, that's the facts."

The final arbiter may very well be voters next November — when all 27 House seats in New York are on the ballot, including about a half dozen swing seats.

Already, the sides' political operations are trying to cast the votes in the context of next year's crucial midterm elections.

"Americans are making a list, checking it twice, and will hold Representatives Tenney and Katko responsible for this tax scam next November,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said.

JSpector@Gannett.com

Joseph Spector is chief of USA TODAY Network's Albany Bureau.