TOBACCO BILL MAY BE DEAD, LOTT SAYS

WASHINGTON - The Senate this week makes what could be its last effort to
keep a tobacco bill alive. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, an opponent of
the legislation, says it is past revival.

"At this point it's dead in the water and there may never be a vote on the
McCain bill," Lott said yesterday on CNN's "Late Edition." "The problem is
greed has set in."

Sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the bill would raise cigarette taxes
and more closely regulate tobacco.

"The delay has gone on long enough," President Clinton said in his weekly
radio address Saturday. "The Senate should do nothing else until it passes
tobacco legislation, and it should pass it this week."

Lott and other critics say the legislation, which raises $516 billion over
25 years by raising the price of a pack of cigarettes by $1.10, goes too far
beyond its basic intention of curbing teenage smoking.

"This is now about money grubbing, this is about taxing people and spending
it on a myriad of programs, so there's the real addiction here," he said.

On Friday, Democrats and Republicans blamed each other for what appeared to
be the near-demise of the bill. Republicans objected to Democratic attempts
to cut off debate while Democrats were angry that they were being forced to
vote on GOP amendments to the bill they didn't like.

Lott said there would be votes this week on an amendment aimed at cutting
teen smoking and illegal drug use, and on another amendment, a top GOP
priority, ending tax rules that penalize married couples.

There also is a vote scheduled to cut off debate and move to final passage
of the tobacco bill.

White House counsel Paul Begala, also on CNN, said if Republicans block a
bill now, it's going to be an issue during this fall's election.

"They are either going to have a bipartisan accomplishment, which is what
the president prefers, or they are going to have a partisan election-year
issue. We'll resolve this from the voters, to see who is on the side of Big
Tobacco and to see who is on the side of our kids," he said.

Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"