N-deal may not happen this week

With the United State Senate winding down its legislative business at the end of the week, the chances of it taking up the Indo-US nuclear deal for debate and vote are dim.

Some lawmakers, though, are of the view that there may be a faint chance that it may be considered during the November lame duck session.

Some Congressional sources and policy analysts are of the opinion that one of President George W Bush's top foreign policy initiatives may not get through this session with a faint chance that Senate lawmakers will consider the legislation in a lame duck session that is expected to convene by the middle of November for a period of two weeks to wrap up unfinished business for the 109th Congress.

"We have a very small window to complete our business over the next six days," Majority Leader Bill Frist remarked at the start of the session of the Senate on Monday and urged for a week of cooperation from the Democrats.

But Minority Leader Harry Reid came back saying, "We have three days left and a list of things a mile long to do. Why? Because Republicans are busy campaigning, not leading."

In fact, there are questions if the Senate will be in a position to pass the spending bills by Friday or Saturday.

One argument has been that even if senators reach Unanimous Consent agreement on S 3709, the bill dealing with the United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation, whether the legislation can actually reach the Senate floor for debate and vote.