Children’s Insurance Bill Loses Supporter

Senate leaders are urging Republicans not to back a children’s health insurance bill sponsored by Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, and one of the bill’s original eight Republican supporters dropped out Friday.

After Sen. Robert Bennett, another Utah Republican, announced Friday that he was withdrawing the support he had promised on Tuesday, Hatch said: “I am disappointed, but I accept whatever my colleague wants to do. As for me, I am going to fight my guts out for these kids.” His bill would raise $30 billion to provide health insurance to children now lacking it, by increasing the tax on cigarettes to 67 cents from 24 cents.