Although the legislation would not actually prohibit what are known as "unfunded Federal mandates," it would set up procedural barriers to imposing them.

Mr. Lott needs 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to overcome procedural barriers put up by Democrats and prevail, which many believe is unlikely.

The competing view is that the centers present even the most genuinely needy with formidable procedural barriers.

Some also cite changing attitudes to abortion and, because of anti-abortion violence and legal challenges imposing new procedural barriers, reduced access to abortion.

More than 2,000 refugees have been deported by the Government under the policy of erecting procedural barriers to discourage the immigrants.

In practice, the procedural barriers to passage are much greater.

But Mr. McArtor said that talks with key officials involved convinced him that the move would not run into any procedural barriers.

Such an exception to the usual procedural barriers should be "rare" and confined to an "extraordinary case," the court said.

Again Colene crashed through the social or procedural barriers, and they came to stand before Dr. Gollins.

Merck has to operate Medco as an independent unit, separated from the parent company by procedural barriers called a firewall.