The delay diminishes the prospects for final enactment of a tobacco bill this year.

Initial expectations that Congress would enact a tobacco bill this year have been deflated.

The tobacco bill, the most ambitious measure before Congress this year, lay across that political fault line.

Following is the 53-to-46 roll-call vote by which the Senate voted today effectively killing the tobacco bill.

A few hours after that meeting, the Senate fell three votes short of approving a motion to cut off debate on the tobacco bill.

The vote tonight, which followed hours of tense negotiations, was a big step in moving the tobacco bill to final passage by the Senate.

"It really comes down to this: Do we get a tobacco bill or not?"

What this means is that if a tobacco bill is passed by the Senate, a tax cut of some sort will be part of it.

So on some days, he proclaims the tobacco bill near death.

And a major tobacco bill, if passed, could pay off financially by helping the Government balance its budget.