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House set to vote on nuclear bill

“India has been denied access to the market for good reason”

Fate of bill in Senate not clear
Deal a positive step: Berman

Washington: The U.S. Congress on Saturday began a key weekend session where the House of Representatives is set to vote on the landmark legislation approving the India-U.S. nuclear deal even as the fate of the bill in the Senate remained unclear.

In the Senate, an anonymous lawmaker has put a “hold” on consideration of the bill which must be lifted before the agreement is brought to the Senate floor or approved by a unanimous consent agreement.

The debate in the House of Representatives on the deal came to a close late on Friday evening.

Senior House staffers pointed out earlier that there are as many as 45 bills that will have to be debated under the suspension rules prior to the House breaking away for the first vote.

Two postponed votes have been scheduled, the first of which being HR 928 on the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008; followed by HR 7081, the Berman Bill on the U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non-Proliferation Enhancement Act.

On the Senate side, Majority leader Harry Reid did not mention the civilian nuclear agreement approval legislation, which is before the upper House since the time its Foreign Relations Committee marked it up to the floor on September 23.

Foe turns friend

During the debate in the House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, a known opponent of the deal, did a U-turn and supported the Senate version of the bill saying the deal was a positive step as it would bring India into the non-proliferation regime.

“I’m a strong advocate of closer U.S.-India ties, including peaceful nuclear cooperation. I voted for the Hyde Act which established a framework for such cooperation. The bill before us today will approve the US-India agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation,” Mr. Berman said.

“Integrating India into a global non-proliferation regime is a positive step,” he said, adding the Bush administration assured him they would push for an NSG decision prohibiting the export of enrichment and reprocessing equipment and technologies to states that are not party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Fellow Democrat Ellen Tauscher, however, disagreed maintaining that the Bill flew in the face of decades of American leadership to contain the spread of the weapons of mass destruction.

“The India deal would give a country with a dismal record of non-proliferation all the benefits of nuclear trade with none of the responsibilities. India has been denied access to the market for three decades and for good reason. India is not a signatory of the non-proliferation treaty and has not agreed to disarmament or signed the treaty,” Congresswoman Tauscher said. Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Ros-Lehtinen also voiced support for the legislation.

“The U.S.-India nuclear cooperation agreement is not one we would offer to just any nation. It is a venture we would enter into only with our most trusted, democratic allies.

“I believe that stronger economic, scientific, diplomatic and military cooperation between the U.S. and India is in the national interest of both countries,” the Florida Congresswoman said.

“... this nuclear cooperation agreement is essential in continuing to ensure India’s active involvement in dissuading, isolating, and if necessary sanctioning and containing Iran for its efforts to acquire chemical, biological and nuclear weapon capabilities,” she said. —PTI

Berman resolution invokes Hyde Act

Foreign Affairs panel chief Berman backs deal

Manmohan seeks satisfactory approval for deal

Manmohan showers praise on Bush

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