A Joint Committee on taxation analysis predicts the tax bill would increase the deficit by $1 trillion, which could be problematic for lawmakers like Sen. Bob Corker, who has said he would vote against a tax bill that increased the deficit. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Republicans rewriting tax bill hours before possible vote Senate GOP leaders are still making major changes to the plan in order to win over several hold-outs. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had expressed confidence early in the day, but he has little margin for error with a 52-48 Republican majority.  Pausing for a reporter's question, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and other senators squeeze into an elevator as they rush to the chamber to vote on amendments as the Republican leadership works to craft... (Associated Press) 
 
 Pausing for a reporter's question, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and other senators squeeze into an elevator as they rush to the chamber to vote on amendments as the Republican leadership works to craft their sweeping tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. Story Continued Below 
 
 It’s still not clear when the Senate will vote — or what they’ll actually be voting on, as key pieces of the multi-trillion-dollar bill are being rewritten in hopes of getting a major legislative victory to President Donald Trump’s desk by Christmas. “It doesn’t look like the trigger is going to work, according to the parliamentarian,” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “So we have an alternative, frankly: a tax increase we don’t want to do to try to address Sen. Corker’s concerns.” 
 
 Corker told reporters: “My understanding is, that the parliamentarian has ruled against it so they’re just going to automatically put [tax increases] in, period.” Corker and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said the revenue raised with tax increases — which senators say would kick in six years after the enactment of the tax legislation — would total about $350 billion, although Cornyn suggested that figure may need to go higher. It would slash the corporate tax rate, offer more modest cuts for families and individuals and eliminate several popular deductions. The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation said Thursday that the GOP plan would fall well short of covering its $1.5 trillion cost through additional economic growth; it predicted $407 billion in additional revenue would come in by boosting the economy by 0.8 percent over the next decade. That would mean a $1 trillion deficit increase, which is problematic for lawmakers like Corker, who has said he would vote against a tax bill that increased the deficit. Collins plans to offer a half-dozen amendments, including one that would hike the proposed corporate tax rate of 20 percent to restore a deduction for up to $10,000 for property taxes. Unlike the tax bill passed by the House two weeks ago, the Senate measure would end the requirement in President Barack Obama's health care law that people pay a tax penalty if they don't buy health insurance. ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
– A planned vote on Senate Republicans' overhaul of the tax code was called off Thursday night as they struggled to find 50 votes—and an extra $400 billion or so. Senators say deficit hawks led by Tennessee's Sen. Bob Corker have delayed the bill's progress by insisting it doesn't drive up the nation's deficit, Politico reports. Earlier Thursday, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation released estimates saying that despite sweeping cuts, the tax overhaul wouldn't stimulate economic growth as much as earlier predicted, meaning it would add an estimated $1 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, reports the Washington Post. GOP leaders rewrote the $1.4 trillion tax bill behind closed doors in an effort to add $400 billion in revenue, changing it so that some tax cuts were rolled back after six years, the AP reports. Corker had suggested a "trigger" that would raise taxes if deficit targets were not met, but this was deemed to be against Senate procedural rules. Sen. Jeff Flake joined Corker as a deficit holdout while Sen. Ron Johnson demanded a better deal for "pass-through" businesses that pay tax under the individual code. With Senate leaders hoping for a final vote on the legislation Friday, Sen. Susan Collins is also seen as a potential holdout, though Sen. John McCain has given the overhaul the thumbs-up. Collins, unlike most of her colleagues, has said she is open to raising the proposed corporate tax rate above 20%. If the tax bill does make it through the Senate, the next step will be to try to reconcile with the House version in the hopes of handing President Trump a bill to sign before Christmas.