The sense of relief among White House staff was palpable last month when President George W. Bush unveiled a landmark deal to provide India with civil nuclear technology after months of tense negotiations. He thought he had secured a momentous foreign policy victory.

Instead, rather than being embraced as an innovative solution to India?s long estrangement from international proliferation agreements, it has run into resistance on Capitol Hill. Just 10 Republican senators have so far agreed to co-sponsor the bill to implement it. It has not secured a powerful champion. Most members are waiting to be persuaded.