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US Senate Rejects Thompson Amendment
The US Senate on Wednesday rejected an amendment attaching weapons proliferation sanctions to a bill normalizing trade with China, clearing the way for final passage of the bill to grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status to China.
The Senate voted 65-32 to reject the amendment, proposed by Republican Senator Fred Thompson and Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli.
The amendment demanded the US government to impose sanctions on foreign companies and nations that are involved in weapons proliferation.
On Wednesday, the Senate also rejected three other amendments trying to link PNTR bill with prison labor, human rights and other issues.
The Thompson amendment, considered to be the major and final hurdle to the passage of the PNTR bill in the Senate, met strong opposition from most Senators, the Clinton administration and the Business community eager to do business with China.
Lawmakers said the amendment's defeat puts the PNTR bill on fast-track to final approval later this week or early next week.
"This clears the deck. It was the last hurdle," said Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana.
"It would hurt America more than it would punish China," said Republican Senator Phil Gramm of Texas.
Democratic Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware described the Thompson amendment as a "serious foreign policy mistake."
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