Actually, the posturing over the bill assumed a somewhat farcical nature this week as the Washington DC-based US-India Political Action Committee sent out a release. This is how the release began:
"Today, during a private meeting with USINPAC, Chairman Henry Hyde of the House International Relations Committee announced his decision to support the US-India civil nuclear agreement. His support is critical to the successful passage of the deal. Chairman Hyde says he plans on scheduling the committee markup on or before June 21st. He stated that he is 'confident the bill will pass and is willing to push it through'."
If this had been true, it would have provided major momentum to the process since Hyde, obviously, occupies a powerful position.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. A member of the staff of Hyde's Committee was categorical: "It's incorrect." Hyde, he said, still has "significant concerns" over the deal and "hasn't decided on his final position."
That, of course, is a downer. But it's also a pointer to the enthusiasm of the Indian-American community in lobbying with Senators and Congressmen for the passage of the bill...with little success.
For instance, the much-hyped caucuses on Capitol Hill on India and Indian Americans have delivered little. The co-chair of the Senate group, New York Senator and President wannabe Hillary Clinton isn't for it or against it, for that matter. She's just not taken a position.
Indian-Americans are organizing fund-raisers for her political campaign but aren't managing to get her to support their cause. So, they keep pouring money into her kitty and she refuses to take a stand, and then, they try to make something of nothing by releasing non-statements. Like this one: "During a fundraiser at the Beverly Hills home of billionaire Ron Burkle, Dr. Reddy had a chance to ask senator Hillary Clinton about her position on the current US-India Nuclear deal.
While senator Clinton said that India needs to use alternate energy and less dependent on fossil fuels due to environmental problems, she also stated that the nuclear cooperation between India and the United States is good provided it is used in a manner under strict safeguard conditions."
Then there's the co-chair of the caucus for the House of Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen who gets by saying this: "Of the many important issues we work on with India, the issue that is receiving the majority of Congress's attention is the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation."
This lack of ability to get their elected (and extravagantly funded) representatives to come through on the deal hasn't stopped prevented these 'lobbyists' from promoting themselves. Possibly a dozen new groups have been created specifically for this deal, and each one hosts a prominent Senator or Representative, holds a fund-raiser, gets a photo-op and then sends out a release to the press that says nothing.
Hopefully, the realization will dawn upon these Indians in America that they should put their money where the American politicians' mouths are.
Better still, think of putting that half million dollars into primary education or healthcare in India...?
first published:June 08, 2006, 02:22 ISTlast updated:June 08, 2006, 02:22 IST
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The India-US nuclear deal still remains in limbo despite the Bush Administration's muscular support for the passage of the Bill in the US Congress.
Actually, the posturing over the bill assumed a somewhat farcical nature this week as the Washington DC-based US-India Political Action Committee sent out a release. This is how the release began:
"Today, during a private meeting with USINPAC, Chairman Henry Hyde of the House International Relations Committee announced his decision to support the US-India civil nuclear agreement. His support is critical to the successful passage of the deal. Chairman Hyde says he plans on scheduling the committee markup on or before June 21st. He stated that he is 'confident the bill will pass and is willing to push it through'."
If this had been true, it would have provided major momentum to the process since Hyde, obviously, occupies a powerful position.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. A member of the staff of Hyde's Committee was categorical: "It's incorrect." Hyde, he said, still has "significant concerns" over the deal and "hasn't decided on his final position."
That, of course, is a downer. But it's also a pointer to the enthusiasm of the Indian-American community in lobbying with Senators and Congressmen for the passage of the bill...with little success.
For instance, the much-hyped caucuses on Capitol Hill on India and Indian Americans have delivered little. The co-chair of the Senate group, New York Senator and President wannabe Hillary Clinton isn't for it or against it, for that matter. She's just not taken a position.
Indian-Americans are organizing fund-raisers for her political campaign but aren't managing to get her to support their cause. So, they keep pouring money into her kitty and she refuses to take a stand, and then, they try to make something of nothing by releasing non-statements. Like this one: "During a fundraiser at the Beverly Hills home of billionaire Ron Burkle, Dr. Reddy had a chance to ask senator Hillary Clinton about her position on the current US-India Nuclear deal.
While senator Clinton said that India needs to use alternate energy and less dependent on fossil fuels due to environmental problems, she also stated that the nuclear cooperation between India and the United States is good provided it is used in a manner under strict safeguard conditions."
Then there's the co-chair of the caucus for the House of Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen who gets by saying this: "Of the many important issues we work on with India, the issue that is receiving the majority of Congress's attention is the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation."
This lack of ability to get their elected (and extravagantly funded) representatives to come through on the deal hasn't stopped prevented these 'lobbyists' from promoting themselves. Possibly a dozen new groups have been created specifically for this deal, and each one hosts a prominent Senator or Representative, holds a fund-raiser, gets a photo-op and then sends out a release to the press that says nothing.
Hopefully, the realization will dawn upon these Indians in America that they should put their money where the American politicians' mouths are.
Better still, think of putting that half million dollars into primary education or healthcare in India...?
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