Oppose the Consideration of Treaties in the Lame-duck Session

Thirty-seven senators have pledged, in a letter circulated by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and addressed to Majority and Minority leaders Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), to “oppose efforts to consider a treaty during” the lame-duck session. Click on the image at left to download a PDF of this letter and its 37 signatures.

Because treaties require a two-thirds majority in the Senate to be ratified, this group of 37 senators will be able to block any treaties introduced on the floor of the Senate in this year’s lame-duck session. Two treaties that are likely to be considered after the November 6 elections are the UN Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities. The currently stalled UN Arms Trade Treaty could even be resuscitated in time for consideration in November or December. You can learn why we need to oppose these UN treaties by clicking on the names of these treaties earlier in this paragraph.

Although these 37 senators will be sufficient to block the ratification of any treaty during the lame-duck session (a minimum of 34 are required to block treaties), tremendous forces can be brought into play by establishment elites to change votes. Therefore, please contact your senators and urge them to block the consideration of any and all treaties in the lame-duck session. Something as important as treaty ratification should not be undertaken by a lame-duck senate with many retired and defeated senators casting votes.

Thanks.

Your Friends at The John Birch Society

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