22 U.S.C. § 8001 — Sense of Congress

submitted 20 years ago by Pub. L. 109-401 to r/title-22-FOREIGN-RELATIONS-AND-INTERCOURSE · 583 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

Congress states that preventing nuclear and other weapons proliferation is a key foreign-policy goal. It supports the NPT, responsible nuclear cooperation with countries outside it under specified conditions, continued engagement with India and Pakistan, and controls on nuclear commerce with India.

Congress states: (1) preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, the means to make them, and the means to deliver them is critical to United States foreign policy; (2) maintaining and strengthening the NPT, especially verification and compliance, is central to United States nonproliferation policy; (3) the NPT has significantly helped prevent nuclear capabilities and maintain international stability; (4) countries outside the NPT's legal system may challenge global nonproliferation because they have not accepted the NPT duty to prevent spreading nuclear capabilities; (5) the United States should, as far as possible, ensure that those countries responsibly handle nuclear technology they develop; (6) the United States should enter a nuclear-cooperation agreement under section 2153 of title 42 with a country never party to the NPT if (A) it has acted responsibly regarding proliferation of nuclear-related technology and delivery means, (B) it has an operating, continuous democracy, a foreign policy matching the United States, and cooperation with the United States on key nonproliferation initiatives, (C) cooperation leads it to adopt much stronger protections against proliferation and avoid advancing its nuclear-weapons program, and (D) cooperation leads it to give more political and material support to United States global and regional nonproliferation goals, especially efforts against states and terrorist groups seeking nuclear or other mass-destruction weapons and delivery means; (7) the United States should continue engagement, collaboration, and exchanges with and between India and Pakistan; (8) strong United States-India relations are in the national interest; (9) both countries share democratic values and potential for sustained economic engagement; (10) civilian nuclear commerce with India could benefit people in all countries; (11) that commerce changes United States policy toward non-NPT countries, while the NPT remains the foundation of global nonproliferation; (12) such commerce must minimize proliferation and regional-arms-race risks and maximize India's adherence to international regimes, especially NSG guidelines; and (13) the United States should not facilitate or encourage another party's nuclear exports to India if United States law ends those exports.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, the means to produce them, and the means to deliver them are critical objectives for United States foreign policy;

(2)

sustaining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and strengthening its implementation, particularly its verification and compliance, is the keystone of United States nonproliferation policy;

(3)

the NPT has been a significant success in preventing the acquisition of nuclear weapons capabilities and maintaining a stable international security situation;

(4)

countries that have never become a party to the NPT and remain outside that treaty’s legal regime pose a potential challenge to the achievement of the overall goals of global nonproliferation, because those countries have not undertaken the NPT obligation to prohibit the spread of nuclear weapons capabilities;

(5)

it is in the interest of the United States to the fullest extent possible to ensure that those countries that are not States Party to the NPT are responsible in the disposition of any nuclear technology they develop;

(6)

it is in the interest of the United States to enter into an agreement for nuclear cooperation arranged pursuant to section 2153 of title 42 with a country that has never been a State Party to the NPT if—

(A)

the country has demonstrated responsible behavior with respect to the nonproliferation of technology related to nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them;

(B)

the country has a functioning and uninterrupted democratic system of government, has a foreign policy that is congruent to that of the United States, and is working with the United States on key foreign policy initiatives related to nonproliferation;

(C)

such cooperation induces the country to promulgate and implement substantially improved protections against the proliferation of technology related to nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, and to refrain from actions that would further the development of its nuclear weapons program; and

(D)

such cooperation will induce the country to give greater political and material support to the achievement of United States global and regional nonproliferation objectives, especially with respect to dissuading, isolating, and, if necessary, sanctioning and containing states that sponsor terrorism and terrorist groups that are seeking to acquire a nuclear weapons capability or other weapons of mass destruction capability and the means to deliver such weapons;

(7)

the United States should continue its policy of engagement, collaboration, and exchanges with and between India and Pakistan;

(8)

strong bilateral relations with India are in the national interest of the United States;

(9)

the United States and India share common democratic values and the potential for increasing and sustained economic engagement;

(10)

commerce in civil nuclear energy with India by the United States and other countries has the potential to benefit the people of all countries;

(11)

such commerce also represents a significant change in United States policy regarding commerce with countries that are not States Party to the NPT, which remains the foundation of the international nonproliferation regime;

(12)

any commerce in civil nuclear energy with India by the United States and other countries must be achieved in a manner that minimizes the risk of nuclear proliferation or regional arms races and maximizes India’s adherence to international nonproliferation regimes, including, in particular, the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG); and

(13)

the United States should not seek to facilitate or encourage the continuation of nuclear exports to India by any other party if such exports are terminated under United States law.

Source credit: (Pub. L. 109–401, title I, § 102, Dec. 18, 2006, 120 Stat. 2726.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2006Enacted · Pub. L. 109-401 · 120 Stat. 2726

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 109-401 on 2006-12-18.

all 0 arguments · sorted by: best

no arguments yet — make the first case