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US Senate Opens Debate on PNTR with China
The US Senate opened a debate Tuesday on a bill to grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to China after a summer recess.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott told reporters that the debate is likely to last for two weeks and he expected a final vote on the trade bill by September 15.
"We hope next week that we will be able to move to cloture, if necessary, and to the conclusion of the bill by the end of the week," he said. "That, again, will depend on how the Senate is doing and what has been offered in terms of amendments."
Lott said he could not say for sure whether or not any amendments will be added to the PNTR bill.
Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, who framed a bill that could lead to sanctions against China if weapons proliferation was confirmed, has threatened to propose the legislation as an amendment to PNTR if Democrats refuse to vote on his legislation.
An amended bill has to be returned to the contentious House for a new round of vote, leaving little chance for its passage before Congress breaks for November's presidential and Congressional elections.
"If amendments are added, it could well be dead for this year," warned Montana Democratic Senator Max Baucus, a supporter of the China trade pact.
The House of Representatives voted 237-197 in May to approve the bill granting PNTR status to China so that the annual debates on normal trade relations with the country could come to an end.
President Bill Clinton has made passage of the PNTR bill his top legislative priority for his final year in office.
White House officials have warned that a further delay in Senate passage of the PNTR bill could have serious implications for US foreign and security policy and would cost US businesses billions of dollars in loss.
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