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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — The Senate moved closer to approving a sweeping overhaul of the tax code on Wednesday, voting to begin debate on the tax bill as Republican leaders continue trying to secure the votes for final passage. The procedural vote, which passed 52 to 48 along party lines, put the Senate on track for a final vote later this week. The push by Senate Republicans to pass an ambitious tax overhaul now enters a critical and politically delicate phase. Republican leaders still lack firm commitments from enough of their members to ensure passage later in the week, and significant changes were still being discussed on Wednesday. Among the biggest potential changes would involve nudging the corporate tax rate from the proposed 20 percent rate to 22 percent. Such a move would still result in a large cut from the current top rate of 35 percent, but would give lawmakers some additional money to use for other concessions to help win over reluctant lawmakers. The higher rate was floated on Wednesday by two Republican senators, Marco Rubio of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, who want to use the money from a higher corporate rate to pay for an expanded child tax credit. “It makes us just as competitive, but it allows us to do the pro-worker reform that we desperately need,” Mr. Rubio said. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, expressed openness to a slightly higher corporate rate than the Senate had proposed. “Failure is not an option,” Mr. Graham said when ask... Link to the full article to read more