US Congress Clears Legislation For Designating India As 'Crucial Defence Partner'

US Congress has cleared legislation for designating India as a “major defence partner”, with the Senate passing the USD $618 billion American defence budget for 2017.

The 2017 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) asks the defence secretary and the secretary of state to take steps necessary to recognize India as America’s major defence partner in a bid to strengthen bilateral security cooperation, The Economic Times reported today.

The bill was passed earlier by the US House of Representatives by 375-34 votes. Now it is heading to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign it into law.

Last week, the House of Representatives had approved the legislation, which is essentially the defence budget. The final passage in the Senate took place the day Defence Secretary Ashton Carter was in India to discuss with Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar the implication of the designation for India-US cooperation in defense. 

"The designation of a 'Major Defence Partner' gives a special status to India, apart from institutionalizing the progress made to facilitate defence trade and technology sharing with India to a level at par with that of the US' closest allies and partners," a joint statement issued after their meeting said. 

In May, the House passed the amendment to the defence finance bill for closer cooperation with India. 
But a similar amendment initially failed in the Senate during the following month. But later in June, the Senate adopted by voice votes an amendment to the bill "to authorise military-to-military exchanges with India".

However, the final compromise version of the legislation ironing out the differences in the House and Senate bills was agreed by armed services committees of the two chambers, releasing late last month with the provision for India to be a major defence partner.

Provisions like the one on major defence partner status for India are usually inserted into budget bills by members of the Congress advocating them as they would have the effect of laws and can be adopted faster without having to go through the full legislative process that includes lengthy reviews and debates.

Those stuck in the legislative process are two separate bills. They are US-India Defense Technology and Partnership Act introduced in the House in March, and the Advancing US-India Defense Cooperation Act in the Senate in May.

Both are stuck in the legislative process and are pending in their respective foreign affairs or relations committees and are unlikely to be taken up in the remainder of the currents of the Congress that ends on January 3 next year.