WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the founder and co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, commented today on the U.S. Senate consideration of the U.S.-India nuclear cooperation agreement:

"It is a sad fact that the Bush administration has succeeded in forever altering the global nonproliferation regime by pushing this deal through Congress without sufficient oversight or time for debate. Long after President Bush leaves office, we will have to live with his tainted legacy of blatant disregard for global security. 

"Once this bill has cleared the Congress, Secretary Rice must make good on her commitment to advocate a new rule at the November Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting that will prohibit the export of enrichment and reprocessing equipment and technology to states that are not signatories of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).  This is the most basic of nonproliferation requirements and it must be finalized.

"Nonproliferation advocates must now be on alert. Now that the nuclear rules have been broken for India's sake, Iran, Pakistan and North Korea will be looking for a way to similarly game the system. The spread of the atom bomb must be stopped at all costs, and I will not stop working to safeguard the United States from the scourge of nuclear weapons."

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