Congressional Election Cycle or Supporting Your Biggest Ally?

According to at least one report from the UK, the Americans are more worried about their ballot boxes than the only ally they seem to have left:

The ratification of a defence treaty designed to bolster American-British defence co-operation by removing red tape has been deferred until the next Congress, in a blow to UK defence contractors.
The US Senate foreign relations committee has told the Bush administration there is not enough time in the current Congress to overcome concerns about both the US-UK agreement and a separate defence trade treaty with Australia.
When the treaty was signed by Tony Blair and President George W. Bush in June last year it was heralded as an agreement to help industry support joint British and US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The US already provides fast-track approval for arms export applications from the UK, but British officials and industry executives have in the past complained that each application licence still takes weeks to approve.
The treaty would have ended the requirement for a separate US export licence for each piece of defence equipment and technology sent to the UK.

By: Widow 6=7