Trump heading for big struggle on tax reform

The White House claimed this week that it's leading the charge on tax reform, but that will mean resolving several issues that threaten to split Republicans, and with a skeleton crew that so far doesn't include a chief tax policy official at the Treasury Department.

And as the healthcare failure showed last week, Trump is not necessarily able to woo all the Republican votes he'll need to gain a victory on tax reform.

"One general takeaway from that is you have to go into it knowing what you're trying to accomplish, and therefore who you're trying to get on your side," said Jeff Kupfer, who teaches public policy at Carnegie Mellon University and previously served in the George W. Bush Treasury Department and as executive director of Bush's panel on tax reform.

"We have to coalesce around a tax plan, argue behind closed doors, come to an agreement and then speak with one voice," agreed Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y.

Undaunted, White House press secretary Sean Spicer suggested this week that Trump would lead the Republican effort to overhaul the tax code, and told reporters that "we're driving the train on this."