As discussed in vote #17, the Reagan Administration's lax enforcement of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Act has increased the risk that U.S. nuclear exports will be used by foreign nations to make nuclear bombs. Recently some public interest groups and Members of Congress brought a lawsuit against the President for signing an agreement with the Swiss and the Norwegians which allows them to "reprocess" fuel from the U.S. for 30 years without any further American review.

This vote was on the Proxmire amendment to require Congressional approval of any such international nuclear cooperation agreement. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Act had originally allowed Presidentially negotiated agreements to be overturned by the Congress, but the Supreme Court recently ruled that such "legislative veto" provisions were unconstitutional. The Proxmire amendment would have restored Congressional involvement by making Congress review these agreements, subject to a veto by the President.

Proxmire amendment adopted 74-16; February 29, 1984. YES is the pro-environmental vote. (Proxmire amendment to the Export Administration Act Agreements, S. 979.) The Reagan Administration opposed the Proxmire amendment. Although both Houses of Congress voted for this provision, the bill died in a House-Senate Conference, allowing Reagan's policies to continue.