11.   Administration officials acknowledged a potential contradiction in their efforts to shore up Medicare while creating a costly new benefit.

12.   Administration officials said Social Security checks would be mailed on time and Social Security field offices would remain open to help people applying for new benefits.

13.   According to aides, the agreement says that all Medicare beneficiaries should be covered by the new benefit, with extra assistance for low-income people.

14.   After that, a new benefit plan will be introduced, Jordan said.

15.   Breaux and Magaziner would both have offered new benefits, including prescription drug coverage, while creating strong incentives for subscribers to choose lower-cost health plans.

16.   Brown and other veterans officials had only rough estimates of how many veterans might be eligible for the new benefits.

17.   Business lobbies are concerned that a new benefit would drain the trust funds that pay unemployment insurance.

18.   But he said it was not clear that Republicans would suffer from being seen as denying the elderly a new benefit.

19.   But lobbyists for both industries fear Uncle Sam will attach strings to the new benefit.

20.   But the Bush administration opposes earmarking any money to pay for the new benefit.