Amendments likely to delay N-Bill

United States Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has announced that a Unanimous Consent has been worked out on the modalities of how the Indo-US Nuclear Bill will be piloted through the floor of the Senate.

But the immediate taking up of the agreement has run into a hitch of sorts with Senator Kent Conrad, Democrat from North
Dakota, opposing debate on the deal in preference to the Agriculture Apprioriations Bill which was originally scheduled
for Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Senator Conrad agreed to take out his amendment to the Military Construction and Veteran Affairs
appropriations Bill on condition that this will be tagged on to the Agriculture Bill and will be taken up on Wednesday.

Majority Leader Frist agreed, but when the legislative priorities changed this afternoon, the North Dakota Democrat
objected.

On the US-India civilian nuclear deal, a Manager's Amendment has been agreed upon by Senators Richard Lugar,
Senator Joseph Biden and Senator First, according to which the original text of the legislation will be presented on which
amendments will be offered.

It has also been announced by the Majority Leader that a number of amendments will be offered to the legislation
including two in closed-door session.

Frist said amendments will be offered by Senators Harry Reid, Carl Levin and Barack Obama. Two amendments by Senators
Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, Barbara Boxer, Diane Feinstein, Tom Harkins and upto seven by Senators John Bingaman, Edward Kennedy and Chris Dodd will also be offered, he said.

All the amendments except that of Senator Feingold will be subject to relevant second degrees, and all related to the
subject matter of the Bill.

"This is the unanimous consent of how we will handle the US-India Nuclear Cooperation Bill... We are continuing to plan out
activity both today and tomorrow and possibly Friday," Senator Frist said in his remarks.

"There are a number of amendments that need to be debated... there are 18 or so amendments. But we are going to
finish this Bill before we leave. That is what the Majority Leader said and I will cooperate with him in any way I can.
This legislation has been waiting for a long time and I hope that Senators who have amendments will start debating
them," Minority Leader Harry Reid said in response.