Roy Blunt: “nearly 25 years ago, President Ronald Reagan was given the option of signing what was at that time a little-known…”

“nearly 25 years ago, President Ronald Reagan was given the option of signing what was at that time a little-known international treaty promising to bring the world's countries together to seamlessly and equitably manage the vast expanses of ocean covering the Earth. That accord, all 17 parts, 320 articles, and 9 annexes of it, was known the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It was presented to the President as a key national security imperative, an important economic opportunity, and a powerful message of cooperation and trust to send to our current and future friends around the globe. Mr. Chairman, it didn't take President Reagan more than a few days to separate the rhetoric from the reality. He rightly interpreted the Law of the Sea Treaty, LOST, as a direct affront to American sovereignty and envisioned, presciently, as it turned out, that it might some day be used as a tool by foreign governments to exercise direct authority over American interests, activities, and industries. President Reagan not only refused to sign the treaty, he fired the staffers that were responsible for negotiating it in the first place. More than a generation later, there is talk in the U.S. Senate that they may dust off this stale treaty once again and bring it to a vote.”