A liberal approach to health-care reform has become the first to win committee approval, while another plan unveiled Thursday was not as bipartisan as expected.
The Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee approved Sen. Edward Kennedy's reform plan by an 11-6 vote, becoming the first of five panels that will send proposals to the House and Senate floors.
Kennedy's bill mirrors Clinton's, but offers more breaks to small businesses.
At the same time, Senate Finance Committee chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., unveiled his approach.
But after months of urging the White House to take a more bipartisan approach, Moynihan's bill was surprisingly similar to President Clinton's.
Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., said, "It doesn't look very good to me."
"There are so many controversial parts in it that will have to be taken down," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.
But Finance Committee member Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., disagreed: "This bill will have a lot that will unite us rather than divide us."
Clinton called the vote by Kennedy's committee "historic" and applauded Moynihan for putting a bill on the table.
"While much work remains, today's actions prove that the job will be done," he said. "The momentum demonstrated in the House and Senate this week is heartening to me."
Like the Kennedy bill, Moynihan's plan calls for employers to bear most of workers' health-insurance premiums and offers subsidies to small, low-wage businesses.
Moynihan's plan also would:
-- Raise the cigarette tax to $ 2 per pack, a $ 1.76 increase.
-- Impose a 1% payroll tax on companies with 500 or more employees.
-- Phase in by 1999 a 2.5% tax on all health-insurance premiums to raise money for academic health centers and medical education.
-- Include a 1% to 2% payroll tax on businesses with 20 or fewer employees that do not buy insurance for workers.
-- Raise the tax on handgun ammunition - except .22 caliber - to 50% from 11%.
