Pushing the India-United States civil nuclear deal a step closer to reality, the House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to overcome a procedural hurdle in the runup to a legislation on the agreement.
Updated at 12.50 am, Saturday
Sridhar Krishnaswami
WASHINGTON, DC: Pushing the India-United States civil nuclear deal a step closer to reality, the House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to overcome a procedural hurdle in the runup to a legislation on the agreement.
The House voted 355-55 on a rule waiving all points of order against the conference report to accompany the bill to exempt the deal from certain requirements of the American Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to allow nuclear commerce between India and the US.
The margin of approval of the rule showed 214 Republicans, 140 Democrats and one Independent came out in support and 55 Democrats in opposition.
The passing of the rule means that when lawmakers debate the deal no new amendments will be allowed.
What the lawmakers have done by approving this rule, established by the Rules Committee, is to set the parametersfor the final debate on the civilian nuclear legislation on the floor of the House later in the day.
The division on the rule came after a lone Democrat, Ohio's Dennis Kucinich, demanded the ayes and nays after the Chair ruled that the ayes had prevailed in the voice vote.
The Rules Committee had on Thursday night voted to waive all points of order against the Conference Report and against its consideration and said the report shall be considered as read.
The voting came after a discussion during which Republicans welcomed the civil nuclear deal and Democrats voiced mixed feelings.
Shortly after the House convened in the morning, Republican Congressman Robert Bishop of Utah initiated a debate on the resolution saying the proposed legislation to give effect to the deal was an excellent bipartisan document.
He said the legislation as a whole reflects the sentiments of the House and the Senate and having greater control on non-proliferation activities.
The Democrat from New Jersey Frank Pallone backed not only the rule but also the legislation stressing that the United States has an important strategic partnership with India.
"The United States has an important stake in the stability of South Asia... We need India as a strategic ally" Pallone said.
The Indo-US civil nuclear agreement is the "foundation of a promising US-India alliance that will serve as a defence against terrorism and nuclear proliferation," he said.
"With the rising power of Communist China in the region and Osama bin Laden continuing to hide in Afghanistan or Pakistan, we need India as our strategic ally", Pallone said.
However, Ohio Democrat Dennis Kuchinich opposed the proposed legislation arguing that the Bush administration "does not have a commitment to non-proliferation" and that there has to be consistency on its part as on one hand it is vehemently opposed to nuclear programmes in Iran and North Korea and on the other hand giving a "blessing" to India.
"This is a dangerous time to be approving such legislation", Kucinich said, adding the impact of the law on the rest of the world would have to be taken into account", he said.
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