[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 112 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H6849-H6850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND INDIA REGARDING ENERGY ISSUES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take the opportunity this 
morning to comment on the fact that Secretary of Energy, Bill 
Richardson, recently announced at the Energy Department that he will be 
visiting India this fall after the parliamentary elections that are 
supposed to take place next month, and basically indicated very 
strongly that the purpose of his visit is to encourage even more 
cooperation between the United States and India with regard to energy 
issues.
  Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, last night actually on the floor, we 
initially had a debate on the Burton amendment, which was seeking to 
cut development assistance to India, and wisely the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Burton) decided at the last minute to withdraw his 
amendment because the votes fortunately were not there; but during that 
debate many of us who opposed the Burton amendment pointed to increased 
trade and opportunities between the United States and India in various 
areas, and the support of the U.S. business community for more 
investment and trade with India.
  I have to say that as Secretary Richardson and many of the Clinton 
Cabinet members have really taken the lead the last few years in trying 
to promote more opportunities for cooperation in various areas between 
the United States and India, some of us remember when Ron Brown, who 
when he was the Commerce Secretary, went to India a few times and did a 
trade mission to India. After that, Secretary Daley took a mission to 
India to talk about the opportunities for trade and investment, and 
certainly Bill Richardson, when he was the U.N. ambassador and on other 
occasions, was there in India trying to promote more opportunities 
between our two countries.
  Secretary Shalala did the same thing when she made a trip and talked 
about health issues. So I think that it is particularly opportune that 
after the parliamentary elections, which are likely to set a new course 
for India not only in terms of its diplomacy in politics but also in 
terms of its economic policy, would be followed by a trip to India by 
Bill Richardson this fall.
  My understanding is that the Secretary plans to visit New Delhi to 
expand energy cooperation. During his visit, he will be discussing ways 
of reducing emission from thermal power plants through better 
technology and also explore possibilities for cooperation between the 
two countries in solar energy and related technologies.
  So it is renewable resources, in particular, something that I am very 
concerned about and I think is very important for the future. We know 
that in the northeastern part of the United States recently we had 
blackouts. We know how important it is to try and use renewable 
resources and to find ways not only in developing countries like India 
but also in the United States, in developed countries, to try to 
conserve and find new ways of dealing with the scarce energy resources.
  My understanding is that the Energy Secretary would also visit China 
for a similar exercise and discuss with Beijing ways to reduce 
pollution from thermal power generating units.
  One other thing that happened relating to the Energy Department, 
again announced by the Secretary, is that because of his responsibility 
not only for peaceful uses of energy but also for America's nuclear 
weapons laboratories, Richardson announced that his senior advisor for 
national security, Joan Rohlfing, would work at the U.S. embassy in New 
Delhi to deal with nonproliferation issues. Essentially, Ms. Rohlfing's 
position is effective from September 1 for a specific period of

[[Page H6850]]

about 6 months, and she obviously will be dealing with the whole issue 
of nonproliferation, ways of trying to deal with the fact that India is 
now a nuclear power; and we certainly recognize the fact that India is 
a nuclear power, but obviously we need to have better cooperation 
between the United States and India with regard to the nuclear issue in 
terms of security as well, and so I would encourage that.
  I am very pleased to see that Secretary Richardson is taking this 
initiative both with regard to the peaceful uses of energy as well as 
on the nuclear power issue and what might happen in terms of our 
national security interests. I think this is a strong indication of 
further U.S. India cooperation in an area that is very crucial to all 
of us, and that is our energy resources.

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