Click to play videoWashington DC: The US is in the midst of Congressional election campaigns. What's the future of the Indo-US nuclear deal then?
Thanks to a vicious election environment on Capitol Hill – a crucial September Senate vote on the Indo-US nuclear agreement is now delayed. The post-election lame duck session of the Senate later on November may or may not have time to take up the Bill.
US-India Political Action Committee Chairman Sanjay Puri says, “So if Republicans say no Democrats say yes if Democrats says no Republicans say yes. Both want to get it done but question is who blinks first.”
So if the Bill has to face a fresh Congress next year, and if Democrats win control of either or both Houses, can they do any better? Not necessarily says Sanjay Puri.
“The only thing is the priorities will change. Democrats are running on issues like repeal tax cuts for wealthy, minimum wage hike etc and they will want to take care of that and the deal may be pushed out," says Puri.
The bad news however, doesn't end there. The North Korean nuclear test has given fresh fuel to the critics of the agreement in Washington who will not make the job any easier for the Democrats.
Brookings Institution President Strobe Talbott says, “I just came from a part of the world where there are number of people raising their hands saying we'll like an exception too.”
Experts believe China will also try to squeeze out an exception for Pakistan once the deal reaches the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
However the administration is still confident of a yes vote on the deal during the Senate's lame duck session.
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