Trump tax reform outline needs fine-tuning to spare the middle class

Last week, more details on the Trump tax plan were released. The blueprint, which the "Big Six" tax reform panel is still amending, is excellent. Analysts have reported the plan will lower taxes for the average American by nearly $1,600, making it the most conservative tax plan since Ronald Reagan's presidency.

Although the blueprint does laudably lower taxes for most individuals at all income brackets, some kinks still need to be worked out to ensure its passage. As Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., has made clear in recent interviews, there is very little room for error here: If tax reform is to pass, only two Republicans can vote against the measure, and some Democrat backing would help for insurance purposes.

For the proposal to receive this degree of support, it will need to be tweaked to provide more tax relief to the middle class. In a new report, the Tax Policy Center found that as much as 30 percent of the middle class may pay more in taxes under the Trump plan. This week, everyone from Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, to reporters for the Huffington Post and Mother Jones have expressed concern regarding this issue.

A chief culprit is the elimination of the state and local deductions. In states with higher taxes, such as New York, New Jersey, and California, this move will have significant implications. For instance, more than 25 percent of Garden State residents are expected to pay more should this blueprint become law, while a family in Los Angeles earning $100,000 will have to fork over an additional $1,800 to Uncle Sam.

Tea Party Republicans and sympathetic Democrats will not vote for a plan that significantly raises taxes on the middle class, no matter how much that said plan lowers them holistically. After all, President Trump made an "explicit commitment" to ensure "tax reform will protect low-income and middle-income households."