Washington in brief

Sides try to sway vote on Medicare bill

WASHINGTON - A handful of votes stood in the way of a prescription drug bill and Medicare overhaul on Tuesday, but Democrats conceded that support by the powerful AARP seniors' lobby could ultimately sway fence-sitters to vote for the sweeping legislation.

The AARP was scheduled to begin a $7-million advertising blitz Wednesday to secure passage of the bill, a move that riled Democratic critics of the bill and provoked some of the AARP's 35-million members.

But as some Democrats reconsidered their opposition, some conservative Republicans were re-examining their support, raising new doubts about the outcome. The House could vote on the bill by the end of the week. The Senate might wait until Tuesday.

The legislation would provide a $400-billion, 10-year prescription drug benefit for Americans over 65, the biggest expansion of Medicare since the health plan was created in 1965. It would allow greater participation by private insurers and encourage seniors to seek alternatives to Medicare.

The AARP is emerging as the most influential player in the shaping of the final bill. It helped guide the original Senate bill that passed last summer and stepped into the final negotiations with Republican leaders to soften provisions demanded by many conservatives.

The AARP is "falling into a trap that has been set by the pharmaceutical companies and HMOs," said Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo. "They will never do what's right for the people of this country."

Both retired Gen. Wesley Clark and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., criticized AARP's decision to pay for a weeklong advertising blitz promoting the legislation.

MIAMI - Canada, Mexico, Chile and several Caribbean nations are circulating a compromise proposal aimed at moving stalled talks that would create the world's largest free-trade area, according to documents obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press.

The draft attempts to combine several competing proposals, but allows countries to decide whether they want to participate in a second level of negotiations on controversial issues like investment rules and removing agricultural subsidies and tariffs.

Canadian spokesman Sebastien Theberge would not comment on the text's details, but said a U.S.-Brazilian proposal was too vague and his country wanted "precision and predictability."

Regis Arslanian, a Brazilian negotiator, confirmed the existence of the compromise proposal, but said the Brazilian delegation wanted to keep the original draft intact.

Earlier Tuesday, the United States announced it would seek separate agreements with Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

The FTAA proposal is drawing criticism from antiglobalization activists, environmentalists and unions. More than 20,000 protesters are expected to march Thursday.

WASHINGTON - Congress approved a compromise $27.3-billion energy and water bill Tuesday that gives President Bush less than he wanted for research on low-intensity nuclear weapons.

The bill, however, does give Bush most of what he sought for early work on the long-delayed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev.

The legislation, which is packed with hundreds of water projects from coast to coast, including many the administration did not request, was approved by the House 387-36 and by the Senate on a voice vote.

It is the sixth of 13 spending bills for the budget year that started Oct. 1 that Congress has completed.

QUOTAS ON CHINA TEXTILES: The Bush administration increased trade tensions with China by announcing it will limit clothing imports to protect struggling U.S. companies. The action was the latest response by the administration to America's soaring trade deficit with China, which hit a record $103-billion last year.

LIEBERMAN ENDORSEMENT: Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Lieberman was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., who cited the Connecticut senator's position on national security and involvement with civil rights issues.

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