21.   A senior congressional aide said one Democrat was promised a highway in his district.

22.   A young congressional aide from another office bursts in with a document.

23.   According to congressional aides, lawmakers believed that telephone costs would fall significantly because of new rules designed to bring more competition to the long-distance and local phone markets.

24.   Administration and congressional aides said there were other approaches under consideration that they refused to discuss.

25.   Administration officials and congressional aides said Clinton, who wants to protect his legacy as a fiscally prudent leader, was acutely aware of this problem.

26.   But a congressional aide said that Hinojosa hopes that a public-private partnership could bring high-tech businesses and jobs to the area.

27.   But congressional aides expressed concern about several differences when they met Thursday with federal Medicaid officials.

28.   But congressional aides from both parties say the administration intends to freeze or cut many other programs, including those run by the Smithsonian Institution.

29.   But Congressional aides who keep tabs on the Pentagon and the State Department predicted that there would not be an attack just yet, if ever.

30.   But Congressional aides, who are enthusiastic about using Nigerian forces there, complain that the U.S. training has been too meager.