N-deal sails through US House with 298-117 vote
WASHINGTON: As Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ended his US visit, the landmark civil nuclear deal sailed through the US House of Representatives and appeared poised to clear the Senate soon despite a new hitch.
President George Bush, who had hoped to present the accord that he sees as a hallmark of his presidency as a done deal to the Indian leader during his five-day visit, if not at their Sep 25 meeting at the White House, hailed the overwhelming 298-117 House vote and urged the Senate to quickly follow suit.
"I urge the Senate to quickly take up and pass this important piece of legislation before their October adjournment," to "help strengthen our partnership with India," he said amid indications that the Senate leadership was working out ways to get round a "hold" placed on it by an anonymous senator.
"Signing this bipartisan bill will strengthen our partnership with India," Bush told the senators as he congratulated the house for taking "another major step forward in achieving the transformation" of the two countries' & chr(39) & ' relationship.
Hearing of the glad tidings at a gala reception for Indian-Americans in New York, a couple of hours before heading to France, a beaming Manmohan Singh said: "I should thank George Bush for this."
"The India-US nuclear deal is in the interests of India, the US and the world at large," he said expressing confidence that the deal will complete "the last lap" soon.
With the Congress planning to be in session next week also as it grapples with the Bush administration' & chr(39) & 's $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan to rescue the US financial system, the Senate approval of the implementing 123 accord may come as early as Monday and surely before the Congress takes its delayed break for the Nov 4 election.
WASHINGTON: As Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ended his US visit, the landmark civil nuclear deal sailed through the US House of Representatives and appeared poised to clear the Senate soon despite a new hitch.
President George Bush, who had hoped to present the accord that he sees as a hallmark of his presidency as a done deal to the Indian leader during his five-day visit, if not at their Sep 25 meeting at the White House, hailed the overwhelming 298-117 House vote and urged the Senate to quickly follow suit.
"I urge the Senate to quickly take up and pass this important piece of legislation before their October adjournment," to "help strengthen our partnership with India," he said amid indications that the Senate leadership was working out ways to get round a "hold" placed on it by an anonymous senator.
"Signing this bipartisan bill will strengthen our partnership with India," Bush told the senators as he congratulated the house for taking "another major step forward in achieving the transformation" of the two countries' & chr(39) & ' relationship.
Hearing of the glad tidings at a gala reception for Indian-Americans in New York, a couple of hours before heading to France, a beaming Manmohan Singh said: "I should thank George Bush for this."
"The India-US nuclear deal is in the interests of India, the US and the world at large," he said expressing confidence that the deal will complete "the last lap" soon.
With the Congress planning to be in session next week also as it grapples with the Bush administration' & chr(39) & 's $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan to rescue the US financial system, the Senate approval of the implementing 123 accord may come as early as Monday and surely before the Congress takes its delayed break for the Nov 4 election.