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House Energy Conference Committee Questions Logic of New India Nuke

By: Ed Markey
By: Ed Markey
Date: July 19, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Energy


HOUSE ENERGY CONFERENCE COMMITTEE QUESTIONS LOGIC OF NEW INDIA NUKE
STRATEGY
Markey Provision to Prevent the Exportation of Nuke Technology to Non-Nuke States
Receives House Support, Rejected by Senate Conferees

WASHINGTON, DC - On the same day that the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh addressed a
joint session of the House and Senate, the House Members of the Energy Conference Committee
approved a measure offered by Representative Markey (D-MA) to prevent the exportation of nuclear
technology to countries, like India, that are not party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and
who have detonated a nuclear device. The House Energy Conference Committee provision addresses
concerns raised over a U.S. - India Joint statement announcing that the U.S. will work to achieve full civil
nuclear cooperation with India.

"I hope the bi-partisan passage of this provision here in the Energy Conference Committee sends a clear
message: we should not be sending nuclear materials to India," said Rep. Markey. "India is not a member
state of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and lacks full-scope safeguards required by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for non-nuclear weapons states to receive nuclear supply materials. We
are playing with fire by picking and choosing when to pay attention to the existing non-proliferation
treaties."

Although the measure received broad support from both Republican and Democratic Members of the
House Energy Bill Conference Committee, the measure was rejected by Senate Conference Conferees
during a voice vote.

"Unlike our friends on the Senate side, we don't have any ability to advise and consent on treaties," said
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, chairman of the Conference Committee. "This is a way for the House to send
a signal on this particular treaty." Barton urged a ‘yes' vote on the Markey amendment.

The House Members vowed to continue press for action to address their concerns over the exportation of
nuclear materials to non-nuclear states.

For more on Rep. Markey's work on non-proliferation http://www.house.gov/markey/

http://www.house.gov/markey/Issues/iss_nucenergy_pr050719.pdf

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