President George W. Bush makes remarks after the Ford's Theatre Gala at the National Theatre in Washington, DC June 1, 2008. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will veto the new version of the 2008 farm law pending in Congress, spokesman Scott Stanzel said on Thursday.
The Senate was scheduled to vote on a new text in order to correct a clerical error that omitted the 35-page trade section from the bill when it was presented to the White House. Bush vetoed that bill but Congress overrode the veto and enacted all of it except the trade section.
“Once they enroll the bill and check to make sure it is complete this time, the president will veto it,” said Stanzel in an e-mail.
“As we’ve said before, when grocery bills are on the rise, Congress has called on families to pay more in subsidies to wealthy farmers at a time of record farm profits. This was the best possible time to reform our farm laws for the future, but Congress chose to remain stuck in the past.”
The House passed the new bill, 306-110, on May 22 so Senate approval would send the farm bill to the White House.
Reporting by Charles Abbott, editing by Matthew Lewis
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