The U.S. Senate failed to reach the 2/3 majority needed to ratify the CRPD Treaty (U.N Convention on the Rights with Persons of Disabilities). There were 38 Senators who voted no, with 61 Senators voting yes and one abstention. The treaty needed 66 votes in order to pass.
Here are how the Senators voted:
YEAs – 61
|
Akaka (D-HI) |
Gillibrand (D-NY) |
Murray (D-WA) |
NOs – 38
|
Alexander (R-TN) |
Graham (R-SC) |
Moran (R-KS) |
Not Voting – 1
|
Kirk (R-IL) |
Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Barasso (R-WY), Scott Brown (R-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard Lugar (R-IN), John McCain (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) were the Republicans to cross over and support ratification of CRPD. Lugar and Brown have both been defeated and will not return to the Senate. Out of all of the Republican senators who voted in favor only Senator Ayotte surprised me. I don’t really know much about Senator Barasso. Disappointing.
While according to the Constitution this treaty could not legally override our Constitutional rights it would have been misapplied and viewed that way by many legislators and judges.
Former U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum said of this vote:
Now, that CRPD is defeated, we know that United Nations won’t have oversight of how we care for our special needs kids. This treaty would have given the U.N. oversight of the healthcare and education choices parents with special needs kids make. Had it passed, CRPD would have become the law of the land under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, and would have trumped state laws, and could have been used as precedent by state and federal judges.
It is good that the ratification failed. Frankly it isn’t necessary. We treat those who are disabled in this country with dignity. We already have the Americans with Disabilities Act. We lead the world. We don’t need the the UN leading us and becoming involved in our domestic affairs. So while this vote was closer than I would have liked to see it is a win for American sovereignty.