1.   Congressional Republicans have made an increase in the debt ceiling contingent on a balanced budget agreement to their liking.

2.   Divisions among Republicans about how quickly to push for a budget agreement already are apparent.

3.   Gingrich on Tuesday, for example, began reviving the notion of a balanced budget agreement with President Clinton.

4.   Investors fear that without a budget agreement, the Federal Reserve will Decline to cut interest rates.

5.   Optimism about the likelihood of a budget agreement is helping to maintain healthy bidding for Treasurys.

6.   Panetta used his muscle to keep the budget agreement intact.

7.   Also helping bonds was speculation among traders that Congress and the Clinton Administration were getting closer to a budget agreement that might include a tax cut on capital gains.

8.   An industry analyst said anti-tobacco moves by state governments around the country give federal lawmakers cover in dropping the Kennedy-Hatch bill from the budget agreement.

9.   And he charged that the president was preventing a final federal budget agreement because of election-year politics.

10.   Analysts agree that most Republicans want a budget agreement before Clinton gives his State of the Union address in late January -- if not sooner.