When the regulatory relief bill passed the House last winter, only two Republicans broke ranks.

As was true on Wednesday, the first day of debate on the relief bill, practically none of those expenses were debated today.

They accused Democrats of sneaking the program into the relief bill because it could not otherwise pass.

Two weeks ago Congress passed a $15 billion relief bill to assist farmers who are facing a fourth year of economic downturn.

Private relief bills by their nature have huge potential for abuse, so they are rare for good reason.

Mr. Fitzwater said the relief bill would probably carry a price tag of about $5.5 billion.

President Reagan signed a drought- relief bill that would provide individual farmers with up to $100,000 in aid.

As for the bromide about a "lawyers' relief bill," a generation of civil rights laws has empowered lawyers without making them rich.

It is, incidentally, the kind of "private relief bill" that some politicians wanted for Elian Gonzalez.

Some Americans will actually pay more under either the Administration's or the Congressionally approved tax relief bills.