WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the eve of President Bush’s visit to India, Representative Ed Markey (D-MA), co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation and senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee joined by a coalition of groups opposed to the Bush nuclear deal with India including the Arms Control Association, Friends of the Earth, Peace Action, Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation and Friends Committee on National Legislation held a press conference today to warn the President of the dangers of his bi-lateral nuclear agreement.  Rep. Markey and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) are the authors of a resolution against granting India any loophole to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

“This Administration’s push to share nuclear technology with India is dangerous and has grave security implications for South Asia and the entire world.  Pakistan has already said that if India gets the special exemptions the Bush Administration is pushing for, then it wants the same deal.  Supplying nuclear fuel to countries that are not party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) de-rails the delicate balance that has been established between nuclear nations and destroys our credibility when insisting that other nations continue to follow this important nonproliferation policy,” said Rep. Markey.  “By signing this deal President Bush is opening up a nuclear proliferation Pandora’s box – that will be impossible to put back under the lid.” 

“We are gathered here today to remind the President that there are strong voices of opposition to his nuclear side-deals..  With one swoop of a pen President Bush is about to serve a devastating blow to the existing nuclear regime that has protected the world from nuclear destruction for over thirty years, create a lopsided nuclear balance in one of the most dangerous, terrorist-ridden parts of the world while turning his back on the possibility of addressing climate change with one of the world’s largest polluters.  We will not sit by and let that happen.”

“Such a deal is neither the U.S.’s interest nor in India’s long-term interest.  Both countries rely principally on coal for electrical generation.  Both will likely continue to rely on coal for most of their power generation for the next 50 years.  We should be partnering on clean coal technology, not on a nuclear power agenda that threatens international security.”

Representative Markey and Representative Fred Upton (R-MI), introduced a bipartisan resolution H. Con. Res. 318 on December 15, 2005 opposing President Bush’s proposed nuclear cooperation with India.  Current law prohibits the sale of nuclear technology to any country such as India which refuses to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, refuses to allow full-scope safeguards under the treaty, and which develops new nuclear weapons and detonates nuclear tests in defiance of the treaty.

For more information on Rep. Markey’s work to address the proliferation of nuclear weapons or a copy of the Resolution, please visit www.house.gov/markey.

 Coalition Letter of Support (59.67 KB)
 Friends of the Earth Letter (102.78 KB)
 NRDC Letter (229.47 KB)
 Peace Action Letter (92.79 KB)
 Security and Nonproliferation Experts Letter (11/18/05) (143.77 KB)
 Security and Nonproliferation Experts Letter (2/14/06) (38.87 KB)
 Daryl Kimball's ACT OpEd.pdf (65.14 KB)
 H. Con. Res. 318 (130.67 KB)