Unless there’s some near-miracle, there will be -no- Farm Bill emerges from Congress before U-S lawmakers leave for Spring Break. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham says he’s “very disappointed” the House-Senate conference committee couldn’t resolve its differences.Independent calculations found the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill was six billion dollars over the spending limit. Latham says that was the big sticking point.Members of both parties have agreed farm spending should grow by 73-and-a-half billion dollars over the next ten years.President Bush leaves for Mexico today on a trip that’ll take him to three countries, including Peru. In that nation’s capitol of Lima, a car-bomb explosion Wednesday near the U-S Embassy killed at least nine people and injured dozens. Congressman Latham says Mr. Bush should ignore the terrorism and proceed with his plans. Latham says he’s not worried about President Bush’s safety, as he says the President has tremendous security.Bush is also scheduled to visit El Salvador on the four-day trip.The U-S Senate passed a campaign finance reform bill Wednesday that heads now to President Bush. Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley voted against the bill, saying it had “fatal flaws,” while Democrat Senator Tom Harkin favored it. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham, a republican, says the bill had good elements, but lots of bad, and voted against it earlier in the House.Latham says the bill contains restrictions on freedom of speech which he believes will result in it being declared unconstitutional.
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