Urgent Calls Needed: Senate Committee to hold Hearing on Dangerous UN Treaty

William A. Estrada, Esq.
Director of Federal Relations

The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is scheduled to hold a hearing on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on Thursday, July 12. Phone calls are needed to your two U.S. senators to urge them to oppose this dangerous treaty.

HSLDA Founder and Chairman Mike Farris has written a short memo on the dangers to U.S. sovereignty, family freedom, and homeschooling if the U.S. Senate votes to ratify the CRPD. You can read his memo online.

We urge you to do two things: first, please contact your two U.S. senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or by using HSLDA’s Legislative Toolbox. Second, please call the White House and urge President Obama to withdraw the CRPD from Senate ratification. The White House Switchboard is 202-456-1414. Please note that Congress and the White House will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, in celebration of Independence Day.

It is not necessary to identify yourself as a homeschooler. Your message can be as simple as the following:

“Please oppose ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As our nation gathers to celebrate Independence Day, it is outrageous that U.S. senators would support a treaty that surrenders U.S. sovereignty to unelected UN bureaucrats. Our nation already has laws to protect disabled Americans. This treaty is unnecessary and will hurt families.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed by Congress to specifically protect disabled Americans. There is no need for the Senate to ratify the CRPD, as our nation’s state and federal laws already protect these precious citizens. Sadly, this treaty—if ratified by the Senate—would do great harm to disabled children and adults by subjecting parents, families, and caregivers to UN oversight, regulation, and control. For specific harm to homeschool families, you can read our additional research paper.

In addition to calling your two U.S. senators, we urge you to visit their Facebook pages and leave your comments about this treaty. Please also forward this email to your family and friends and encourage them to oppose this treaty. Families, not the United Nations, are best suited to care for their loved ones with disabilities. We don’t need unelected international bureaucrats to tell us how to do that.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: A Danger to Homeschool Families