On the recordDecember 4, 2012
I want to make sure people understand there are different thoughts on this convention. It seems as though most of the time when the U.N. conventions or treaties come up that I have been opposed to them, and my concern always has been that of sovereignty. I do oppose the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities because I think it does infringe upon our sovereignty, establishing an unelected United Nations bureaucratic body called the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and a Conference of State Parties. These unelected bureaucratic bodies would implement the treaty and pass so-called recommendations that would be forced upon the United Nations and the United States if the United States is a signatory. We already have the 1980 act. We all remember that. We went through that a few years ago. I was here at that time. It is considered to be the gold standard for the disabled. We don't need the United Nations bureaucrats changing it in our country in the name of worldwide advocation. While the Obama administration affirms that no changes to the Federal or State law will be necessary if the CRPD is ratified, the CRPD can be amended. The Senator from Indiana talked about the fact that there are no changes in this. But it can be amended by the bureaucrats and, therefore, require changes to U.S. law.…
