Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Contact: http://www.sjmercury.com/ Author: David E. Rosenbaum New York Times SENATE LOGJAM ON TOBACCO SHOWS SIGNS OF BREAKING UP WASHINGTON -- Signs developed Tuesday that the Senate's weeks-long impasse on anti-smoking legislation might be broken. The Senate voted, 52-46, for a Republican amendment to use some of the money that would be raised from higher cigarette prices on drug abuse programs. The vote was the first on the legislation in three weeks, and plans were made to vote today on proposals to use other money from the tobacco legislation for income-tax cuts. No one involved was prepared to assert that the bill was out of the woods. But in a brief interview, Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the Republican leader, said, ``If we're going to start having some votes, then something might happen.'' This was a different tack from the one Lott took Monday, when he said the bill was such bad legislation that it should be withdrawn. Approval of anti-drug measures and tax cuts ``does change the mix,'' he said Tuesday night. President Clinton said ``that the possibility of getting a comprehensive bill out of the Senate is greater now than it was this morning. There are still problems, to be sure. But we are getting closer to, I think, a principled compromise.'' Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the chief sponsor of the bill, agreed. ``Reports of the death of this legislation were premature,'' he said. But McCain quickly added that ``a lot of difficult hurdles'' remained before the bill could be brought to a final vote. The basic bill, meant to discourage teenage smoking, would raise the price of cigarettes by at least $1.10 a pack over five years, expand federal regulation of tobacco marketing and advertising, and require the cigarette makers to pay stiff penalties if youth smoking did not fall to specified levels. Most Democrats have argued that it is the most important public health measure to come before Congress in years. Republicans have countered that the legislation is a futile effort to deal with a public health problem by raising taxes and creating new government programs. The measure to be considered today would give tax breaks to couples filing joint returns and to self-employed workers who must pay for their own medical insurance. That and the anti-drug measure approved Tuesday night give Republicans the opportunity to argue that they have turned the legislation into one that fits Republican principles. Republican leaders in the House are still unenthusiastic about the direction the legislation in the Senate is taking. Rep. Dick Armey of Texas, the majority leader, said Tuesday that his associates were working on a stripped-down bill that would not raise the price of cigarettes. One of the most ardent opponents of the tobacco legislation, Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, said Tuesday night that the changes being made might swing him around. ``This is a step in the right direction,'' he said. - ---