Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to reintroduce the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill back before President Bush within the next two weeks, Dow Jones reported Oct. 18.

Bush vetoed the original SCHIP bill on Oct. 3, and the House narrowly failed in a bid to override the veto. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the measure will be brought to another vote and presented again to Bush, with the original funding mechanism -- a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tobacco tax -- intact.

Industry analysts had expected the bill, if passed, to raise retail tobacco prices about 15 percent and result in a 5-6 percent decline in tobacco sales. Analysts are now saying that they don't think the bill will pass until at least 2008, or be implemented before 2009.

Democrats are vowing not to make any changes to the SCHIP bill, but GOP leaders are pressing for a compromise that would include a $15-billion increase in program funding but no new tobacco taxes. The original SCHIP bill called for a $35-billion increase in funding; Bush had proposed $5 billion.