Three 'killer amendments' that had the potential to wreck the historic Indo-US nuclear deal, including one which sought a cap on fissile material production, were defeated in the US Senate which approved the accord overwhelmingly.Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold proposed a killer amendment that required a pre-condition of Presidential determinations that nuclear cooperation with India does nothing to assist, encourage or induce India to manufacture, acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.The amendment was defeated by a margin of 71 votes to 25 votes, after a spirited debate on the floor between Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard Lugar.Another amendment proposed by California Democrat Barbara Boxer required India to suspend military cooperation with Iran and was defeated by a bipartisan vote of 59 votes to 38 votes.Democrat Jeff Bingaman, also moved an amendement dubbed as a "killer". It sought to link nuclear exports to India to a Presidential determination that New Delhi has halted production of fissile materials was rejected by a margin of 73 to 26.The Feingold Amendment stated that India could not use or replicate and subsequently use US-origin "equipment, technology or nuclear material in an unsafeguarded facility or nuclear weapons related complex" or for any activity related to the research, development, testing or manufacture of nuclear devices.
