SANTO DOMINGO.- United States president George W. Bush said on Thursday he would veto a legislation approved by Congress that threatens to decimate the tobacco industry in Central America and Dominican Republic.

The measure includes a proposal to expand a public health program for the children of his country, already ratified by the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the democrats’ insistence.

"Democrats in Congress have decided to approve a bill which they know will be vetoed," said Bush, who asked the lawmakers to approve "a clean and temporary extension" of the program as it currently functions, so it wouldn’t affect the tobacco industry of that region, which in Dominican Republic’s case employees as many as 50,000 workers.

As one of the main sources of financing for the expansion of the health coverage, the democrat-sponsored bill raises taxes on tobacco products.

In Dominican Republic’s case, the expensive handmade cigars would be taxes as much as three dollars each.

Dominican Republic president Leonel Fernandez on Tuesday asked the Congress not to approve the tax, as it would harm people and the rural economies of his country, Honduras, Nicaragua and “tobacco zones in particular." He said a tax rise would cost his country 50,000 jobs.