An international disability rights treaty won approval from a U.S. Senate committee Thursday, opening the door for the full body to vote on whether or not to ratify the measure.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 13 to 6 in favor of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Supporters now hope that the full Senate will vote on the treaty before senators leave for their August recess.
The U.N. Convention establishes an international standard for disability rights similar to what’s already in place domestically through the Americans with Disabilities Act. The committee vote Thursday came on the 22nd anniversary of the ADA.
Despite a holdup last week sparked by concerns from some Republican lawmakers, the treaty received bipartisan support, with all of the Democrats on the panel and three Republicans voting in favor.
In order for the United States to ratify the treaty, a two-thirds majority or 67 senators would need to vote in favor of it.
Originally signed by the U.S. in 2009, some 117 countries around the word have already ratified the disability treaty, according to the U.N.
We sign this we lose our sovereignty. SAY NO!! We can do better on our own with out the UN. The UN is UN American.
This treaty would apply the ideals of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the rest of the world, and extend U.S. influence around the world.
President Reagan understood the good that come from signing on to certain treaties that extend U.S. ideals. Upon taking office, in 1981 Reagan supported and signed (after Senate ratification) the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which set up a nuclear free zone in Latin America. Later in 1988 he signed the ratification of the UN Convention Against Genocide. Also in 1988, he signed the UN Convention Against Torture (which was ultimately ratified in 19994). He also supported Protocol II of the Geneva Convention because: “The United States has traditionally been in the forefront of efforts to codify and improve the international rules of humanitarian law in armed conflict, with the objective of giving the greatest possible protection to victims of such conflicts, consistent with legitimate military requirements.” Lets follow Reagan’s example and support this treaty that will allow the U.S. to be a leader for disability rights around the world.