Bush Admn working 'very hard' for approval of N-deal

Washington, Sept 24 (PTI) On the eve of Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh's meeting with President George W. Bush here,
the U.S. government has said it is working as hard as it can
to secure the Congressional nod for the landmark nuclear deal
in its current session.
"...we continue to work very hard with the Congress on
getting this legislation through the Senate as well as the
House. We're doing everything we possibly can," State
Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters in New
York.
He was asked if the agreement could be finalised when
Prime Minister Singh visits Washington on Thursday for talks
with Bush at the Oval Office.
"We have expressed our commitment both in private and in
public to members of Congress and to the Indian Government to
working as hard as we can to get this passed in this session
of Congress," McCormack said, according to a transcript
released here.
The current Congressional session is scheduled to adjourn
on September 26 and suspense persists over whether the deal
would be approved in time.
Top Congressional aides are not sure when or how the
process on the deal is going to be completed with one
assessment being that it may not be fully ready for signing
when Singh meets Bush at the White House Thursday.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Tuesday
to approve the bill by 19-2, sending it to the full Senate.
But the House Foreign Affairs Committee, headed by a
major critic of the accord Howard Berman, is yet to schedule a
hearing to take a decision on a vote of approval.
Officials have said the discussions between Bush and
Singh will be on a range of issues, including terrorism. PTI