Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said, "Today's debate comes down to this: Do you favor big tobacco or children?"

Republicans tried to block consideration of the House bill and complained that it was being rammed through the House without any opportunity for amendment.

"This is a very partisan bill, done in a very partisan way," said the House Republican leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio. "It expands government-run health care beyond anything any of us could have imagined in the last 10 years."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said, "Members of Congress and our children get health care paid for by taxpayers. The children of our constituents deserve the same."

Meanwhile, the Senate continued to debate its version of the bill Wednesday. The Senate aims to increase CHIP by $35 billion. The president only wants to increase CHIP by $5 billion and has threatened to veto the bill.

The Senate will still need to pass its version of the bill, and House and Senate negotiators will have to reach an agreement in conference meetings before producing a final bill that each chamber must pass again before going to the president.

The CHIP program needs to be reauthorized before it expires on Sept. 30.

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Contributing: New York Times News Service

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E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com