Then the bill had to comply with the existing balanced budget agreement between Congress and the White House, something that Lott said it did not.[4] Pressure was on to reduce the amount of grants involved, with $16 billion a possible compromise; Hillary Clinton instead argued for $24 billion.[4][6] The Clinton administration had a deal with the Republican leadership in Congress that forbade the administration from backing any amendments to the budget resolution.[13] Thus,** Bill Clinton phoned members of Congress and asked that they kill the children’s health insurance provision when it came to the floor**.[4] On May 22, it was so done, with the necessary cigarette tax amendment defeated by a 55–45 margin.[20]** Hillary Clinton defended her husband’s action at the time,** saying “He had to safeguard the overall budget proposal,”[4] but** Kennedy was surprised and angered by it,[13] considering it a betrayal,**[5] and saying that his calls to Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore had not been returned.[20] Hatch was also upset, saying that Lott may have been bluffing and that, "I think the President and the people in the White House caved here."[20]