Bill Clinton: “today, the Senate has begun debate on S. 3709, the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act, which…”

“today, the Senate has begun debate on S. 3709, the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act, which will help pave the way for our Nation to assist India in fulfilling its energy needs. I intend to vote in support of this legislation. The United States and India are bound together by deep mutual respect and our common efforts to work towards a democratic, free, and secure world. As cochair of the Senate India Caucus, I have sought to strengthen the ties that bind our two nations. The legislation that emerged from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a significant improvement over the implementing legislation put forward by the administration in March. The administration's initial proposal sought to undercut Congressional authority by asking us to effectively approve an agreement before it had even been negotiated with India and before India had reached its nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA. I carefully followed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's consideration of this agreement. Senator Richard Lugar, the Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Senator Joseph Biden, the Foreign Relations Committee ranking member, are to be commended for the seriousness with which they exercised their jurisdiction over this legislation. Because of the efforts of Chairman Lugar and Ranking Member Biden, the bill before us today is much improved.”