Team Bush and senate majority leader Harry Reid scored a breakthrough in persuading a dissident senator to lift a “hold” on the Indo-US nuclear deal
NEW YORK: Team Bush and senate majority leader Harry Reid scored a breakthrough in persuading a dissident senator to lift a “hold” on the Indo-US nuclear deal, clearing the way for a crucial senate vote on Wednesday.
Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, who is a staunch supporter of the deal, told his colleagues late on Tuesday that the senate would also consider two amendments seeking to deal with objections about continued nuclear cooperation should India conduct another nuclear test.
Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico is introducing one of the amendments. Nothing is known about the amendment, but one can guess its contours as the Democratic leader and a few other senators were part of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ who voted against the enabling legislation known as the Hyde Act in 2006.
Meanwhile, Reid set the stage late on Tuesday for a 60-minute debate on the India-US nuclear deal, asking the senate to consider Bill HR 7081 when it meets on Wednesday. PTI quoted Reid as saying a final vote on the nuclear deal would probably go through around 7 pm on Wednesday (4.30 am India time on Thursday) after the hour-long debate.
“The bill should be considered under the following limitations, 60 minutes of limited debate with the time equally controlled between the leaders or designees,” Reid told the senate, adding that 30 minutes would be allotted to Democrats Russell Feingold and Tom Harkin.
The Bingaman amendment “in the event of an Indian test” will also be put to a voice vote. Reid indicated any amendment will require a “60-vote threshold” to stick, otherwise it will be dropped. Advocates of the nuclear deal told DNA that pro-India senators “have their eyes wide open for deal-breakers and will kill them”.
Unlike the house of representatives, which needed a two-thirds majority, the senate requires a simple majority to approve the legislation. The deal finally went to a vote in the House during an emergency session on Saturday, where it was passed overwhelmingly. It now needs to go through the last-mile vote in the senate to allow US companies to export nuclear technology and equipment to India.
If the deal falls in the senate just before it hits the finishing line, it would be back on the table next year, facing a new administration and a new Congress, and once again, an uncertain future.
However, reflecting the Bush administration’s confidence about a quick senate vote, behind-the-scenes plans are being made for a visit by US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to New Delhi to sign the deal.
uttara.choudhury@gmail.com
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