Key House lawmaker sees Peru pact approval

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A free trade agreement with Peru is headed for approval in Congress, but trade deals with Panama and Colombia face problems, a senior Democrat in the House of Representatives said on Tuesday.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, told reporters his committee would begin action on the Peru free trade agreement next week.

But votes are still lacking for the Colombia agreement and lawmakers are waiting to hear from the Bush administration how it plans to address the recent election to Panama's top legislative post of a man wanted by the United States in the killing of a U.S. soldier, Rangel said.