US seeks quick passage of N-deal

Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 2:09 am

In fresh lobbying for the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal within the US Congress, a group of influential lawmakers cutting across party lines made a strong pitch for a quick Congressional approval before the session ends on September 26.

Simultaneously, a Republican Congressman Joe Wilson asked House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman,a vocal critic of the deal, to schedule a quick hearing on the pact as the Bush Administration pressed hard for a waiver of the 30-day waiting rule for the deal in the Congress.

In what is seen as a positive sign for the deal to go through, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has already scheduled its hearing on the nuclear deal tomorrow. The “target” adjournment of the 110th Congress is September 26 and since there is no guarantee of a Lame Duck session the Bush administration is keen that the legislation clears the Congress this month itself, preferably before rime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Washington onSeptember 25 to meet President George W Bush.

The ‘Dear colleague’ letter circulated to all the 435 members of the US Congress has stressed that the expedient approval of the agreement and it should be passed by the Congress before breaking for recess on September 26.

Signatories to the letter among the Democrats were Gary Ackerman and Joseph Crowley from New York and Frank Pallone from New Jersey while the Republicans were represented by Congressmen Joe Wilson from South Carolina and California’s Edward Royce.

Seeking the support of Berman, Wilson has written to him asking for a mark up of the legislation the next time the House panel is in session to ensure lawmakers can vote on the agreement before the Congress is adjourned this month.

“As past and present co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, we are asking you to support this agreement which provides for peaceful nuclear cooperation between the two democracies,” the five law makers said in their letter addressed totheir colleagues.

“Passage of this measure in an expedient manner will be beneficial to both the countries” they said. “This historic agreement for the two nations has won approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group. It would enhance US-India economic relations and assist the world’s largest democracy to successfully meet growing energy needs. Congress must act quickly to ensure passage on this agreement before recessing,” the lawmakers said.

Wilson in his latter to Berman said ” As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I am writing to support passage of the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.” Given that the international community has decided to end over three decades of India’s nuclear isolation, Wilson said the next logical step for the US is to enter into a nuclear agreement with the country.

With the approval from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the IAEA already at hand, Wilson wrote, “the international community has recognised that India is a responsible global partner and assisting India with its energy needs is a positive step for our two democracies.”

“I respectfully request that you consider including this historic agreement in the next House Committee on Foreign Affairs’ mark-up so the full House will have an opportunity to vote on this measure before our scheduled adjournment,” Wilson said. A senior Congressional aide associated with the House Foreign Affairs Committee has however maintained that hearings areoptional.

(With inputs from PTI)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

US seeks quick passage of N-deal

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