Ivanka Trump Touts Tax Plan At Bucks County Town Hall
RICHBORO, Pa. (CBS) – While many important details still need to be filled in, such as the income levels that go with each tax bracket, President Donald Trump is pushing an overhaul to a tax code that has not changed since 2001.
To do so, he is eager for the Congress to pass a $4 trillion budget proposal.
While the president met with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill, his daughter Ivanka Trump discussed the administration's new tax reform plan with an audience in Bucks County.
Ivanka Trump told the crowd of about 200 supporters in Richboro that she believes President Donald Trump's tax reform plan will benefit the middle class with a simplification of the tax code.
"The total complexity that exists today only benefits one group of people: the people who can afford to hire the armies of lawyers and accountants and lobbyists," she said.
Ivanka Trump says, among the changes she thinks are important, are expanding the child tax credit to help young families, and creating a corporate tax rate that's more competitive with the rest of the world.
"It can't just be about cutting taxes. You're doing that because you want to fuel and incentivize growth, which will lead to the long-term benefit of all," she said
Former Congresswoman Nan Hayworth moderated while U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza also spoke on the panel and said she will be pushing for the proposal to pass.
"We're here to make sure it does," Carranza told a clapping audience.
Across the street from the discussion at the James Kinney Senior Center, a group of about 50 people protested outside.
"Go home to your palace, Princess," one protester shouted.
Critics say under the plan, the middle class will suffer.
"It seems like this presidency is committed to making the rich richer and the poor poorer," Steve Cickay of Newtown said.
Scott Sieburth of Springfield County says he believes changes need to be made to the current tax code, but he doesn't support the changes Trump is proposing.
"It all sounds very positive if I didn't think it was a lie," Sieburth said. "I think if you make more money, you ought to pay proportionately more."
But supporters say the proposal would help all Americans, not just the middle class.
"One of my big concerns was that all the analyses said this will hurt the middle class but after hearing [Ivanka] speak, I don't think that's true. Yes, it will help the wealthy but I think the reform is needed and should benefit most Americans," Peter Palestini, a Marine veteran, said.
President Trump has said he hopes to sign tax reform into law by the end of the year.
Over the weekend he joined the House GOP conference call urging them to adopt the plan passed by the senate to help speed up the process, warning failure to do so could result in losses in next year's midterm election.
