Six amendments moved in the House before voting on the nuclear dea

Washington, July 26 (UNI) Six amendments have been moved for debate today when the House of Representatives takes up the legislation giving effect to the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal for consideration.

The most important amendments are the ones offered by two Democrats from California, Howard Berman and Brad Sherman.

Mr Berman's amendment would restrict exports of uranium and other types of nuclear reactor fuel to India until the US President determines that India has halted the production of fissile material like plutonium and highly enriched uranium which go into the making of nuclear weapons.

Mr Sherman's amendment makes it incumbent on the President to certify that during the preceding year India has not increased the level of domestic uranium it sends through its weapons programme effective from July 18, 2005 when the joint statement on nuclear cooperation was issued.

Congressmen Berman and Sherman's amendments, with slight changes, had been rejected by the House International Relations Committee when it came up before the panel last month.

The legislation was carried by a overwhelming majority of 37-5 when the House panel voted on it.

Republican Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska's amendment empowers Congress with the ability to assess, to the extent possible, whether annual levels of India's nuclear fissile production may imply a possible violation of Article I of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The amendment offered by Republican Cliff Stearns of Florida says that the US government shall not participate, contribute to, the manufacture or acquisition of nuclear weapons or make explosive devices.

The other amendments pertain to the sense of Congress like Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee's which says that the United States should continue its policy of engagement policy of engagement, collaboration, and exchanges with and between India and Pakistan.

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