LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The House today votes on a Republican bill to help seniors pay for prescription drugs. Democrats are threatening a walkout unless a vote is also permitted on their rival bill. The Democrats want a direct government drug benefit nationwide. Republicans would blend private insurance with federal subsidies to spread coverage to seniors eligible for Medicare right now. Well, this election-year controversy over prescription drug benefits is likely to be one topic at President Clinton's news conference this afternoon. CNN's Major Garrett is at the White House. Let's go to him now for a preview. Garrett -- Major, rather, good morning.</s>MAJOR GARRETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. White House officials tell CNN that at the top of his 1:30 press conference in the East Room, the president will say it is time for a compromise to break a key legislative logjam. The deal he's offered the Republican Congress, he will accept their marriage tax penalty abolition, if they will accept his generous package to provide prescription drug coverage to seniors through Medicare. As you outlined, that is the key issue in Congress. The president has put forward this compromise, White House officials say, to break the logjam, and the president wants to use the top of his press conference to drive home that point. White House officials also expect the president to receive questions about higher gas prices, an issue of very high sensitivity here at the White House. The White House has grown increasingly concerned about Republican charges of no coherent energy policy. The president is expected to remind the public that he has asked Congress on several occasions to approve things that he says would not only lower gas prices now, but in the future, things like dealing with helping Detroit create more energy-efficient vehicles. The White House also expects questions on international policy dealing with, of course, Elian Gonzalez, the Middle East peace process, and a move in Congress to remove sanctions on Cuba, at least dealing with food and medical supplies. One last issue the White House says the president is prepared to talk about, the death penalty. The president is expected to say that he thinks there should be some effort in this country to improve the defense representation for death penalty defendants. Major Garrett, reporting live from the White House.
Prescription Drug Plan Expected to Top Clinton News Conference