Bill on India-US nuclear deal clears last hurdle

The passage of the bill paves the way for President George Bush to sign it into a law, probably on Monday. Final bill

US Congress on Friday evening approved a landmark legislation allowing civilian nuclear trade with India for the first time in 30 years.

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After the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill, the Senate approved a 'unanimous consent agreement' to endorse it paving the way for President George W Bush to sign it into a law, probably on Monday.

The House of Representatives voted in favour of the bill by a margin of 330-59 votes after an hour-long debate with Chairman of the House International Relations Committee Henry Hyde and Ranking Member Tom Lantos backing it, while Massachussetts Democrat Edward Markey, vehemently spoke against it.

Forty-four — 31 Republicans and 13 Democrats — did not vote. During an all-night sitting on the last day of the Lame Duck session of the Congress, the senate approved the bill later.

Introducing the reconciled version of the bill, Henry J Hyde argued that the Conference Report is a "judicious balance of competing priorities" and that the Conference had gone to "great lengths" to accommodate the concerns of the administration.

The end product provides the President the authority he requires, protects Congressional prerogatives and strengthens the global non-proliferation regime, the Illinois Republican stressed.

An agreement to have the civilian nuclear deal was reached between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Bush here in July last year. The deal was finalised when Bush visited India in March this year.