U.S. lawmakers in Congress on Thursday introduced legislation that would provide India access to key U.S. civilian nuclear technology. The U.S.-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement was introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate at the request of the Bush administration. The deal, signed earlier this month by President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the visit by the U.S. president to New Delhi, gives energy-hungry India access to long-denied civilian nuclear technology in return for placing a majority of India's nuclear reactors under international inspection. The nuclear agreement commits Washington to seek approval from Congress and the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to share their civilian nuclear technology with India. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to press the Bush administration's case for passage of the agreement during a hearing set for the first week of April. Congress, many of whose members oppose the India nuclear deal, is set to hold several other hearings on the issue.
