Kerry advocating for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

[Mass]

Good to hear him give such a strong support for the bill. (he started by bashing the GOP for an alternate universe reality.

Surprisingly, many GOPers do not seem to think that we should agree to a treaty that is 100% conform to American law. Go figure.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/os-ed-dana-milbank-112712-20121127,0,5936005.column
Specifically, Santorum, joined by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, declared his wish that the Senate reject the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities -- a human rights treaty negotiated during George W. Bush's administration and ratified by 126 nations, including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

The former presidential candidate pronounced his "grave concerns" about the treaty, which forbids discrimination against people with AIDS, who are blind, who use wheelchairs and the like. "This is a direct assault on us," he declared at a news conference.

So, 36 GOPers voted against bringing this treaty to the floor.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00205
(McCain supports it. Not sure for Graham)

More here
http://news.yahoo.com/senate-takes-un-disability-treaty-202954549--politics.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CUINbVQP0wADDjQtDMD

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the impact of the treaty "will echo around the world." He said the Americans with Disabilities Act is the gold standard for protecting the rights of the disabled and the treaty would "take that gold standard and extend it to countries that have never heard of disability rights." He said that it would benefit disabled American veterans who want to travel or work abroad.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which represents more than 210 national organizations, said ratification "will reflect U.S. commitment to disability rights and core American values such as the dignity of the individual, access to justice and the right to education."
But opponents, led by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, say that international treaties are by their nature a threat to American sovereign authority. Lee also says treaty provisions referring to the "best interests of the child" could lead to the state, and not parents, deciding what is in a child's best interest and that language stating that the disabled should have equal rights to reproductive health services could lead to abortions.
That, said Kerry, was "absolutely, positively, factually inaccurate." He said the treaty only states that a country's laws permitting or banning health procedures should apply to the disabled as well.