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U.S.-Indian Nuclear Deal Reportedly in Jeopardy
Objections from U.S. lawmakers could undo the pending U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear technology sharing agreement, the Los Angeles Times reported today (see GSN, May 31). While White House officials have said Congress must act quickly to approve the deal, pressure from the administration and even personal lobbying by President George W. Bush has not persuaded some important lawmakers to sign on. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has not offered much public comment on the pending legislation, and House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) also remains noncommittal, according to the Times. The Senate is not expected to consider implementing legislation for the deal before November’s midterm elections, aides told the Times. House International Relations Committee ranking Democrat Tom Lantos (Calif.) has expressed support for the agreement but said that the administration’s bill did “not have the wide and bipartisan backing it needs to pass.” Indian officials who fear the accord could compromise their country’s independence have also expressed growing concern, according to the Times, and the 45 members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group — an organization that sets guidelines for global nuclear trade — has yet to endorse the deal. The proposal has garnered support from some U.S. lawmakers pressing for better relations with New Delhi. “The majority of us in Congress thinks that a U.S.-India strategic relationship makes sense,” said Representative Howard Berman (D-Calif.). “But you also have this deal undermining our nonproliferation policies … and it sort of insults Congress as an institution by asking us to change our laws [on nuclear sales] to allow a nuclear treaty that hasn’t been negotiated yet.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), a key supporter of the deal, has indicated he may seek to attach conditions to the pending legislation (Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, June 3). Meanwhile, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Indian military officials today in New Delhi, Agence France-Presse reported. “The general is meeting with the three (armed services) chiefs and later today he will hold talks with Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee,” Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar told AFP. The military officials were scheduled to discuss the nuclear deal, said David Kennedy, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, June 5). Indian-Americans, meanwhile, are making a serious push to have Congress support the agreement, the New York Times reported today. Indian-Americans have been paying for lobbyists and fund-raisers, and organizing briefings and other events on Capitol Hill in recent months. “This is the chance to show that the community has matured and can translate that into political effectiveness,” said Sanjay Puri, chairman of the U.S.-India Political Action Committee. Pakistani-Americans have not been seen significantly lobbying against the deal, congressional officials told the Times. Pushing the agreement through is “a huge deal” for the Indian-American community, said U.S. Representative Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), co-chairman of the House Caucus on India and Indian-Americans. “They’re tripping all over each other to get behind this,” he said. “On a scale of 10, this is probably a 15 for them” (Mike McIntire, New York Times, June 5).
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