United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act

Floor Speech

UNITED STATES-INDIA NUCLEAR COOPERATION APPROVAL AND NONPROLIFERATION ENHANCEMENT ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 26, 2008)

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Mrs. TAUSCHER. I thank the gentleman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act. This bill flies in the face of decades of American leadership to contain the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The bill does not include all of the safeguards and protections contained in the Henry Hyde Act of 2006.

A vote for this bill is a vote to approve a rushed process that has not allowed hearings, debate or amendment to this deal.

Most importantly, the India deal would give a country which has a dismal record on nonproliferation all of the benefits of nuclear trade with none of the responsibilities.

India has been denied access to the international nuclear market for three decades and for good reason. India is not a signatory of the nonproliferation treaty, and it has never committed to nuclear disarmament nor has it signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. India has misused civilian nuclear technology to produce its first nuclear weapon in 1974, and it continues to manufacture nuclear weapons to this day.

This deal will help India expand its nuclear weapons program. For every pound of uranium that India is allowed to import for its power reactors, this deal frees up a pound of uranium for its bomb program. I was in Pakistan this month, and it is clear that this deal will only increase the chances of a nuclear arms race on the subcontinent.

For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and to promote a stronger relationship with India that does not come at the expense of our own security and that of our allies.

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