51.   The bipartisan legislation has majority support but year after year has been kept from coming to a Senate vote.

52.   The aim here is improving public health, and any legislation has to be measured by that yardstick alone.

53.   The House and Senate are unlikely to agree this year, but eventually some legislation will have to pass because of pressure from seniors for relief.

54.   The legislation also has the advantage of coming up while Congress is focusing on energy policy and a major new farm bill.

55.   The legislation does have a provision seeking to limit the influence of these independent outside groups.

56.   The legislation has some useful provisions.

57.   The legislation has a strong chance of passing and being signed into law by President Bill Clinton.

58.   The legislation has bipartisan support and comes after the Senate passed a similar bill by a wide margin in June.

59.   The legislation has broad bipartisan support in Congress, and the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve support several of its provisions.

60.   The legislation has enough votes in the Senate to pass, and Lott said he expected to bring the issue up in that chamber early next week.