TOBACCO TAX LOSES IN SENATE [05/22]

TO SAVE BUDGET DEAL, CLINTON TORPEDOES PLAN FOR TOBACCO HEALTH TAX claims the Chicago Tribune.

CLINTON HELPS KILL PROPOSAL TO RAISE TAX ON CIGARETTES, says the headline in today's New York Times.

Here's how the New York Times began its report:

President Clinton today helped kill a proposal for a tobacco tax increase to pay for children's health care, clearing the major obstacle to Senate adoption of a resolution promising to balance the budget by the year 2002.

The President acted after Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi threatened to withdraw the budget resolution from Senate consideration if the health measure, which Mr. Lott called a "deal buster," was not defeated.

Mr. Clinton had his aides make telephone calls to Democratic senators urging them to back off the plan, offered by Senators Orrin G. Hatch, the conservative Republican from Utah, and Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal Democrat from Massachusetts.

The plan for a 43-cents-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax was then defeated on a 55-to-45 vote.

But the sponsors of the proposal to increase the tax, Democratic Liberal Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Republican Conservative Orrin Hatch of Utah, says they will try again, attaching the proposed tax increase to other pieces of legislation.

SO ASH URGES READERS TO EXAMINE THE TABLE BELOW TO SEE HOW YOUR SENATORS VOTED.

IF A SENATOR VOTED FOR THE INCREASED TAX, ASH SUGGESTS THAT YOU TELL HIM OR HER THAT YOU STRONGLY SUPPORT SUCH A VOTE.

HOWEVER, IF THE SENATOR VOTED AGAINST THE INCREASED TAX, ASH SUGGESTS THAT YOU TELL HIM OR HER YOU HOPE THEY WILL VOTE FOR IT THE NEXT TIME THE ISSUE COMES UP.

The following is how the Members of the U.S. Senate voted:

Following is the 55-to-45 roll-call vote by which the Senate rejected an effort today to change the budget agreement by increasing spending for children's health care and boosting the Federal cigarette tax.

A "YES" vote was to kill the amendment and a vote AGAINST the higher tax.

A "NO" vote was to keep the amendment alive, and a vote FOR the higher tax.

Voting "yes" -- AGAINST THE TAX -- were 8 Democrats and 47 Republicans.

Voting "no" -- FOR THE TAX -- were 37 Democrats and 8 Republicans.

DEMOCRATS YES -- AGAINST THE TAX
Breaux, La.; Cleland, Ga.; Feinstein, Calif.; Ford, Ky.; Hollings, S.C.; Kohl, Wis.; Lieberman, Conn.; Robb, Va.

DEMOCRATS NO -- FOR THE TAX
Akaka, Hawaii; Baucus, Mont.; Biden, Del.; Bingaman, N.M.; Boxer, Calif.; Bryan, Nev.; Bumpers, Ark.; Byrd, W.Va.; Conrad, N.D.; Daschle, S.D.; Dodd, Conn.; Dorgan, N.D.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Glenn, Ohio; Graham, Fla.; Harkin, Iowa; Inouye, Hawaii; Johnson, S.D.; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerrey, Neb.; Kerry, Mass.; Landrieu, La.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Mikulski, Md.; Moseley- Braun, Ill.; Moynihan, N.Y.; Murray, Wash.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Rockefeller, W.Va.; Sarbanes, Md.; Torricelli, N.J.; Wellstone, Minn.; Wyden, Ore.

REPUBLICANS YES -- AGAINST THE TAX
Abraham, Mich.; Allard, Colo.; Ashcroft, Mo.; Bennett, Utah; Bond, Mo.; Brownback, Kan.; Burns, Mont.; Campbell, Colo.; Coats, Ind.; Cochran, Miss.; Collins, Maine; Coverdell, Ga.; Craig, Idaho; Domenici, N.M.; Enzi, Wyo.; Faircloth, N.C.; Frist, Tenn.; Gorton, Wash.; Gramm, Texas; Grams, Minn.; Grassley, Iowa; Gregg, N.H.; Hagel, Neb.; Helms, N.C.; Hutchinson, Ark.; Hutchison, Texas; Inhofe, Okla.; Kempthorne, Idaho; Kyl, Ariz.; Lott, Miss.; Mack, Fla.; McCain, Ariz.; McConnell, Ky.; Murkowski, Alaska; Nickles, Okla.; Roberts, Kan.; Roth, Del.; Santorum, Pa.; Sessions, Ala.; Shelby, Ala.; Smith, N.H.; Snowe, Maine; Stevens, Alaska; Thomas, Wyo.; Thompson, Tenn.; Thurmond, S.C.; Warner, Va.

REPUBLICANS NO -- FOR THE TAX
Chafee, R.I.; D'Amato, N.Y.; DeWine, Ohio; Hatch, Utah; Jeffords, Vt.; Lugar, Ind.; Smith, Ore.; Specter, Pa.

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