If ratified, UN treaty will submit US law to international tribunal.
PURCELLVILLE, Va., Dec. 3, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Senate offices confirm that Majority Leader Harry Reid will move to a final vote at noon this Tuesday on a U.N. treaty that will give up our sovereignty to unelected, unaccountable UN bureaucrats.
Michael Farris, President of ParentalRights.Org and leading expert on international law, observed, "Ever since Obama's reelection, Democrats in Washington DC have revived debate on a series of UN issues. This Tuesday they plan to test their strength and attempt to ratify their first project: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). If the Senate ratifies the UN CRPD, it would be the first time ever that the U.S. has ratified a treaty that obligates us to recognize economic, social, and cultural entitlements as rights under domestic law."
The CRPD calls for numerous protections for people with disabilities. While many of these protections are already provided for in the U.S. by the Americans with Disabilities Act, additional provisions included in the treaty concern many U.S. citizens. If ratified, the CRPD would become the supreme law of the land under the U.S. Constitution's Supremacy Clause in Article VI, would trump state laws, and would be used as binding precedent by state and federal judges.
Farris explains, "Our nation already has laws to protect disabled Americans. The UN CRPD treaty is unnecessary and will hurt families. It is wrong for the United States to ratify a United Nations treaty that will give up our sovereignty to unelected, unaccountable UN bureaucrats. We oppose the UN CRPD for the simple principle that Americans should make the law for America."
Last week the Senate began discussion on the treaty and Senator Reid and Senator Kerry said they hoped for a robust debate and a series of amendments that would bring all sides together. However, after the first day of debate it was announced that there would be no amendments. If 2/3 of the senators present vote yes, the United States will ratify this UN treaty and erode U.S. sovereignty.
For example: Article 4(2) requires the United States to use its maximum resources for compliance with these standards. The UN has interpreted similar provisions in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to criticize nations who spend too much on military issues and not enough on social programs. There is every reason to believe that the UN would interpret these provisions in a similar fashion. The UN believes that it has the power to determine the legitimacy and lawfulness of the budget of the United States to assess compliance with such treaties. Other examples can be found here.
"The question is, who should make critical decisions regarding the care and raising of children who have disabilities? Their parents or United Nations social workers?" said President of the Home School Legal Defense Association, J. Michael Smith. Smith is calling for a national grassroots phone blitz. "There is no need for the CRPD, as our nation's state and federal laws already protect our precious loved ones with disabilities. It is outrageous that U.S. senators would support a treaty that surrenders U.S. sovereignty and family integrity to unelected UN bureaucrats. Call your Senators today and tell them to vote 'No!'"
Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Visit us online at www.HSLDA.org.
