Trump to push tax plan in visit to Harrisburg

President Donald Trump plans to visit Pennsylvania Wednesday to rally support for his tax plan.

The visit comes after many Republicans from the Philadelphia region voted against a budget resolution needed to pass the tax overhaul.

Even though Trump won Pennsylvania, the visit to the Keystone State is meant to turn up constituent pressure on lawmakers who did not support his plan, said political analyst Larry Ceisler.

“One of the big problems of the plan is it calls for the end of state and local tax deductions, so in a high tax state like Pennsylvania that really means a lot to the residents here,” Ceisler said.

Republican Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick, Ryan Costello, and Pat Meehan — of Pennsylvania — and Frank LoBiondo, Leonard Lance, and Chris Smith — of New Jersey — all voted against the budget resolution.

While some Pennsylvania Republicans from farther away from the Philadelphia region backed the president on the vote, U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur of South Jersey is the only member of the House from the greater Philadelphia area to vote “yes.”

The visit is designed to rally strategic pressure on federal lawmakers to support the tax blueprint, Ceisler said.

“He knows the Pennsylvania Republican congressional delegation is going to be a challenge for him in trying to get through his tax reform plan, so I think he’s coming here because he needs to apply pressure to Republican members, especially in the Southeast, to support the plan,” he said.

When Trump comes to Pennsylvania, he steers clear of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Ceisler added.

“I don’t know what he really gets by going to Harrisburg and Hershey, those are small television markets,” he said. “I don’t know how much play he gets around the state, but that’s where he’s comfortable apparently.”