Congressional Statements

Letter to Congressional Colleagues on US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement

Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Joe Wilson
March 2, 2006

Dear Colleague,

As past co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, we write in support of the proposed civilian nuclear agreement between the U.S. and India.

On July 18, 2005, President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a series of initiatives intended to accelerate the rapid transformation of our bilateral relationship. Among these was a landmark effort to realize full civil nuclear cooperation. This effort is part of a concerted presidential effort to roll back decades of mutual mistrust in order to lay the foundation for a new partnership with India that advances our common interests in this century. These interests include, inter alia: defeating terrorism and religious extremism; preserving peace and extending stability in Asia; countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction; promoting democracy, free markets, and open societies; and increasing energy security. The civil nuclear cooperation initiative, when implemented, will advance our strategic partnership, will enhance energy security, and will strengthen global nonproliferation efforts.

In order to ensure this initiative adequately addresses nonproliferation concerns -- considerations we share with the administration -- senior officials have pledged that they would not ask Congress to change U.S. law until India presented and began to implement a credible and transparent plan for the separation and safeguarding of their civil nuclear facilities and programs that is defensible from a nonproliferation standpoint. Discussions with the Indians on this sensitive matter continue. Once such concerns are appropriately addressed, this will advance shared U.S. and international nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

Under the Joint Statement, India has formally committed itself to accepting responsibilities undertaken by leading countries with advanced nuclear technology, including, for example, separating and safeguarding its civil nuclear facilities, adhering to the guidelines of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and supporting efforts to restrain the transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technologies to states that do not already have them. These and related commitments in effect bring India into the global nonproliferation framework while at the same time promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy and making it a valued partner in cutting-edge civil nuclear research and development endeavors.

Expanding India's access to new sources of clean nuclear power -- as the President has proposed -- would also enable India to make its full contribution to meeting international environmental standards and managing the problems of global climate change without sacrificing the high rates of economic growth necessary for its development. It would help India overcome substantial energy deficits that currently impede India's economic growth and undermine its quest for rapid development. Finally, increased nuclear cooperation with India in the manner envisaged by the July 18 Joint Statement opens great commercial opportunities for our nuclear and civil engineering industries, along with the promise of jobs for many Americans.

In the coming weeks or months, the Administration may ask Congress to make changes to some of our laws in order to bring this initiative to fruition. The factors we have described provide ample reason for Congress to accept the provisions of the civil nuclear cooperation initiative without delay or additional conditionality. It is in the U.S. national interest to take our rapidly developing relationship with India to a new level to advance energy security, and to enhance nonproliferation efforts globally. India is a rising global power and in the coming decades it will assert itself on the world scene. The civil nuclear cooperation initiative provides us a once-in-a-generation chance to dramatically improve relationship with this rising global force. We believe the commitment to this strengthened partnership with India enjoys bipartisan support. We should seize this opportunity to cultivate our strategic partnership with the world's largest democracy.

Very truly yours,

Joe Wilson
Member of Congress

Joseph Crowley
Member of Congress