Thursday, July 20 2006 10:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The Bush administration Wednesday said the Congressional approval of the India-US nuclear deal was a foregone conclusion, going by the overwhelming support for the enabling bill in the foreign relations committees.

"So far the votes have been overwhelmingly in favour in committees, and we'll just have to see how it proceeds. I mean, that's a no-brainer," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. President George Bush supports the agreement, and he had made it clear to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as also to members of Congress, he said.

Two separate draft bills approving the India-US nuclear deal, as cleared by the respective foreign relations committees of the two houses, are expected to come up for vote next week in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Snow, however, refused to be drawn in the middle of a diplomatic dispute over calling off of an upcoming round of India-Pakistan dialogue after the Mumbai bombings, saying he thought it's inappropriate to comment.