US industry says failure will be disappointing

The American industry, which is lobbying hard in Congress for the civilian nuclear agreement with India, has said it will be “deeply disappointed” if the deal does not go through.

The American industry, which is lobbying hard in Congress for the civilian nuclear agreement with India, has said it will be “deeply disappointed” if the deal does not go through. Represented by the US Chamber of Commerce, which has over 30 lakh small and big businesses as its members, the American industry has launched a “grassroots” campaign in large number of Congressional districts to present its views before their elected representatives.

The US India Business Council (USIBC), which represents top US companies like Boeing and General Electricals, for the first time has hired a “professional” lobbying firm—Patton Boggs—to articulate the industry’s voice in support of the civilian nuclear deal. With like minded parties, eminent Americans and associations, it has build up a Coalition for Partnership with India to drum up the support. “If this watershed deal does not pass Congressional clearance, the US industry will be disappointed, as will our counterparts in India,” USIBC president Ron Somers told The Indian Express.

With sudden mounting opposition to the nuke Bill this past week, the industry through the Chamber, USIBC and the Coalition too has intensified its lobbying efforts. The fact that 10 out of the 18 Congressmen who have introduced a legislation against the nuke deal and India are members of the India-Caucus, is considered, among the lobbying firms and diplomatic circles, as a major advantage to the group, which has been opposing the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.

“Each day our lobbyists are going up to the Capitol Hill to meet key members to convey why the US industry feels this legislation is so important to our overall relationship with India,” Somers said.

US Chamber’s president and CEO Tom Donohue has written a letter to Congressmen urging them to support this deal. The coalition has supported submission of a letter co-signed by 25 experts involved in national security who endorse the US-India civilian nuclear cooperation initiative.

Former Secretaries of State, Secretaries of Defence, and National Security Advisers have been solicited by the Coalition to submit a supportive letter to the Congress.