Congress Misses an Opportunity to Fix U.S.-India Nuclear Deal, Senate Passage Likely Tonight
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2008
CONTACT: Leonor Tomero
Washington, D.C. – The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation today expressed concern about this evening’s expected Senate vote to approve the U.S.-India nuclear agreement despite the dangers the agreement poses to long-term American security and non-proliferation efforts.
“Congress missed an important opportunity to remedy many problems with the agreement and prevent the damage to non-proliferation efforts that will result from this deal,” said Leonor Tomero, Director for Nuclear Non-Proliferation at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
Tomero added: “Rushing this agreement through Congress, without careful consideration of its implications, just so outgoing administrations in both the United States and India could add it to their legacies was a mistake that will come back to haunt us. We needed clear rules of the road, not ambiguous language that enables India to expand its nuclear arsenal, exacerbates a nuclear arms race in South Asia, and complicates negotiations with Iran and North Korea.”
“At a time when the greatest threat to the security of the United States is the proliferation of nuclear weapons and materials, the Bush administration, Congress, and India should be working to strengthen, not unravel, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which remains our first and best line of defense against the spread of nuclear weapons,” concluded Tomero.
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote to approve the U.S.-India nuclear trade agreement Wednesday evening, October 1, at approximately 7:30 PM EST. The House of Representatives voted to approve the agreement on September 27 by a margin of 23 votes. The final vote in the House was 298-117, but because the agreement was on the suspension calendar, it required a two-thirds majority vote for passage.
A group of senators – including Russ Feingold (D-WI), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) – today expressed opposition to the agreement because of the repercussions for non-proliferation efforts. Bingaman and Dorgan offered an amendment that would clarify U.S. policy and add a reporting requirement in the event India tested a nuclear weapon.
The U.S.-India nuclear agreement contains no guarantee that India will sign contracts with American nuclear and defense companies that are hoping to benefit from trade with India. This week, India signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with France and is considering defense contracts for purchasing French fighter aircraft.
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