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.

By the end of last year, dozens of tobacco bills had been introduced in Congress.