Harkin says Ag bill deadlocked

Senator Tom Harkin says the emergency farm aid bill is endangered by asquabble over selling food and medicine to Cuba. The Senate overwhelminglyvoted to sell U-S food and medicine to Cubans, but the matter has become asticking point with House republicans on a committee which is trying tostrike a deal on the ag aid bill.Earlier this week, Senator Chuck Grassley predicted the farm aid bill wouldwin final House/Senate approval yesterday. Harkin says there’s a chance thestalemate could last awhile.Harkin says 70 Senators voted to open up food and medicine trade with Cuba– a move sponsored by Republican Senator John Ashcroft of Missouri.Harkin will join other democrat Senators this afternoon in a Washington,D.C. news conference to call for quick action on the farm aid package.Harkin is a member of the House/Senate negotiating committee, as isCongressman Tom Latham.