By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 11th June 15
Watchers of the US-India relationship know it is driven top-down
from the White House, at the instance of President Barack Obama. Now another
crucial power group, the US legislative Congress, is increasing pressure for
closer ties between Washington and New Delhi.
Senators John Cornyn and Mark Warner, co-chairs of the
powerful India Caucus, have introduced an amendment to the US National Defense
Authorization Act, which expresses the “Sense of Congress” that the “upgraded,
strategic-plus relationship with India” requires Washington to “welcome the
role of the Republic of India in providing security and stability in the
Indo-Pacific region and beyond”.
The National Defense Authorization Act is a mechanism
through which Congress oversees the expenditure of the defence budget each year.
If Congress passes the Cornyn-Warner amendment, the Pentagon would find it
easier this year to access finances for US-India defence cooperation.
An analyst familiar with the working of the US Congress says
the Cornyn-Warner amendment is very likely to be passed this week.
The India Caucus, which currently includes 35 senators from
the Republican and Democratic parties, was formed in 2004. Its founders were
Republican senator from Texas, John Cornyn; and then-senator, Hilary Clinton, who
might well succeed Obama as the next American president. Mark Warner,
Democratic senator from Virginia, became the Democratic co-chair when Clinton
was appointed secretary of state.
The amendment states: “It is the sense of Congress that the
United States should --- (1) continue to expand defense cooperation with the
Republic of India; (2) welcome the role of the Republic of India in providing
security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond; (3) work
cooperatively with the Republic of India on matters relating to our common
defense; (4) vigorously support the implementation of the United States – India
Defense Framework Agreement; and (5) support the India Defense Trade and
Technology Initiative.”
To justify this, the amendment states: “Congress makes the
following findings: (1) The United States has an upgraded, strategic-plus
relationship with India based on regional cooperation, space science
cooperation and defense cooperation; (2) The defense relationship between the
United States and the Republic of India is strengthened by the common
commitment of both countries to democracy; (3) The United States and the
Republic of India share a common and long-standing commitment to civilian
control of the military; (4) The United States and the Republic of India have
increasingly worked together on defense cooperation across a range of
activities, exercises, initiative and research.”
Indian diplomacy in Washington is increasingly focused on
engaging “the Hill” --- the phrase for elected lawmakers on Capitol Hill, both
in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The influence of a friendly
Congress is regarded as crucial for empowering the US administration through
legislative initiatives like the current one.
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