U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Current Legislation
Abstract
In July 2005, President Bush announced his intention to conclude a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement with India. India, which is not a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), is considered under U.S. law to be a non-nuclear weapon state, yet has tested nuclear weapons and has an ongoing nuclear weapons program. For these reasons, the President would need to make certain waivers and determinations pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) before nuclear cooperation with a state such as India could proceed. The Administration proposed legislation (introduced as H.R. 4974/ S. 2429) in March 2006 that, in addition to providing waivers of relevant provisions of the AEA (Sections 123 a. (2), 128, and 129), would have allowed a nuclear cooperation agreement with India to enter into force without a vote from Congress, as though it conformed to AEA requirements. In late June, the House International Relations Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported their versions of legislation (H.R. 5682 and S. 3709), both of which provide the requisite waivers, retain the requirement for a joint resolution of Congress for such an agreement to enter into force, and contain some restrictions. On July 26, 2006, the House passed H.R. 5682 by a vote of 359 to 68.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 05, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA456162
Entities
People
- Jill M. Parillo
- Sharon Squassoni
Organizations
- Library of Congress