The second and third killer amendments to the enabling legislation -- S.3709 -- to facilitate the nuclear agreement between India and the United States, which was introduced by Senator Byron Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat, were also soundly defeated by a margin of 71-27 and a voice vote respectively.
Dorgan's first amendment had called for UN resolution 1172 -- which had condemned India and Pakistan's nuclear tests in May 1998 -- to be reaffirmed in the enabling legislation.
His second amendment required that with regard to India's separation plan, there be a presidential certification that all of India's reactors for providing civilian electricity be under IAEA safeguards.
After his first amendment was routed, Dorgan, obviously seeing the writing on the wall, vitiated the need for a recorded vote, and instead agreed to a voice vote, and the nays easily drowned out the ayes.
It was once again, the co-authors of the enabling legislation -- Senators Richard Lugar and Joe Biden, the Republican chairman and Democratic ranking minority member of the Foreign Relations Committee -- who led the charge against Dorgan's amendment.
