Rob Portman: State and local tax elimination mainly impacts high-income earners

Sen. Rob Portman said Tuesday the elimination of the state and local tax deduction would mainly be felt by high-income earners.

“Over 50 percent of benefit goes to families making over $200,000 a year,” Mr. Portman, Ohio Republican, said on CNN.

“For states like New York and states like California, not having that deduction any longer does kick some of those folks, who are upper-middle class or high-income folks, into a situation where they don’t get that deduction,” he explained.

Mr. Portman said the discussion is “philosophical” and questioned whether it’s fair that states like his should pay to subsidize higher tax states.

The elimination of the state and local tax deduction has been among the most unpopular points of the Republican tax plan. On the House side, some Republican members from states like New Jersey and California did not support the bill because of this component.