U.S. House-Senate Lawmakers Meet to Resolve Differences Over U.S.-Indian Nuclear Deal Approval

U.S. House and Senate lawmakers began meetings yesterday to craft legislation enabling the U.S.-Indian nuclear trade deal to proceed.  Earlier in the day, the entire House instructed its representatives to approve a Senate provision that Bush administration and Indian leaders have protested, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 5).

Both houses have passed their own versions of the bill to exempt India from U.S. nuclear nonproliferation laws.  The modification is required to allow the nuclear deal to advance because the pact calls for the United States to supply nuclear technology and materials to a nation that is not party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.  In exchange for U.S. technology, India would open its civilian nuclear sector to international monitoring.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week complained about a Senate provision requiring the president to determine “that India is fully and actively participating in U.S. and international efforts to dissuade, sanction and contain Iran for its nuclear program.”  Rice said the effect of the measure was to add unnecessary conditions to the deal.

The Senate language, however, drew support from key House leaders, including Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), who is slated to become chairman of the International Relations Committee when Congress begins its next session.

“I strongly believed that obtaining such an assessment of India’s policy in this regard is a critical piece of information to aid our deliberations when we consider an actual agreement for civil nuclear cooperation with India,” Lantos said.

A frequent critic of the nuclear deal also praised the House decision to keep the Senate provision.

“Apparently, the Bush administration has entered the nuclear twilight zone,” said Representative Ed Markey (D-Mass.).  “It can go to war in Iraq to disarm imaginary WMD, but then turns to give a huge nuclear gift to India and specifically tells Congress not to ask India to stand up to Iran’s WMD programs.”

“Whose foreign policy is the administration promoting?” he said (P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Dec. 6).

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