Republican lawmakers countered with a call for a 5 percent raise in those taxes.

Republican lawmakers throughout the region have been generally united against the idea.

Republican lawmakers had no unified response to the Conrad approach.

Republican lawmakers said that, as a compromise, they had decided to cut $32 billion.

But to do that, they need at least three Republican lawmakers to join them.

Already Republican lawmakers have begun to seize on the issue.

Republican lawmakers are also concerned about how the royalty relief program is working out.

Republican lawmakers and some Democrats have insisted on there being no new taxes in 2009.

The cuts would be so painful that many Republican lawmakers have no stomach for them.

They are waiting to see how Republican lawmakers will react.

In Washington, Republican lawmakers were trying to pull together legislation that would give financial aid to the airline industry.

Nor did he appear to anticipate the eagerness with which Republican lawmakers seized on the issue to give him a political fight early in his Administration.

President Bush and Republican lawmakers distanced themselves as well, saying that much of the problem could be averted by setting up private savings accounts.

Small-business groups have provided powerful support to President Bush and to Republican lawmakers.

Democrats want to spend more money in those areas than do Mr. Rowland and Republican lawmakers.

Conservative Republican lawmakers are starting to rebel.

The ads assured voters that Republican lawmakers were fighting for a Medicare drug benefit.

Watching the fight between the governor and his fellow Democrats, Republican lawmakers, who oppose the sales tax increase, have seized on the issue.

Put Republican lawmakers and other Bush allies on TV to defend him.

Despite concerns about paying for the plan in future years, Democrats and Republican lawmakers are expected to adopt it.