WASHINGTON: The Bush Administration has said it was confident that the Indo-US nuclear deal will be approved by the Congress this year despite a powerful lawmaker threatening to block the pact over the provisions of a proposed NSG waiver.

"We believe that we can get it (nuclear deal) through this year. We're going to work toward that end," State Department's Acting Spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said responding to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman's contention that the deal should be shelved till January as there is not enough time for the Congress to study it.In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Democrat lawmaker said that there was no need to rush with the NSG waiver as this would only handicap US businesses.

But Gallegos said the US was working to get the waiver from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group by early September."We're working with Congress to discuss the issues and resolve any outstanding concerns that they may have. We're working through the Nuclear Suppliers Group to obtain their approval by early September," he said, adding "anything that we proceed with will be consistent with the US law."

"We hope at that time to present the package to our Congress, and we hope that after discussions with them, that they will be able to pass that and we'll be able to proceed with this very important programme," he added.Berman had warned that a waiver by the Nuclear Suppliers Group "inconsistent" with the Hyde Act will "jeopardize" the deal in the US Congress which may not approve it during the Bush Administration's tenure.