Mr. Bush then threatened to veto the $274 billion bill if the abortion provision stayed in.

But conservative House Republicans insisted on the abortion provision.

Because of the abortion provision, this bill is also likely to draw Mr. Clinton's veto.

The abortion provision is part of a $156.7 billion measure to finance labor, health and education programs for the fiscal year 1990, which began Oct. 1.

When the bill was stripped of its abortion provisions, he signed it immediately, and services to women through these clinics continued uninterrupted.

But, and here the tale becomes still more intricate, most Republicans would have rejected the bill even without the abortion provision.

A notable exception is the proposed abortion provision.

The abortion provision was a result of arduous negotiations last summer between leaders of both houses.

Most of the Republican opponents suggested that without the abortion provision they would have voted for the overall bill.

Almost all of them did vote for the bill after it was reintroduced on Thursday on the floor minus the abortion provision.