Action Alert: Help Push the CRPD over the Finish Line!

On September 20, 2012 a debate on passage of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) took place in the Senate. Senate leadership moved for Unanimous Consent to bring up the treaty for a vote after the November elections but before the new Congress convenes, the period of time known as the “lame duck session”.

Opponents of the treaty objected on the grounds that newly elected officials should be allowed to vote on important issues.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) spoke in support of the CRPD. You can watch the debate (uncaptioned) or read the testimonies on C-SPAN. 

The next two months will be critical for successful passage of our treaty and we must deliver the message to each and every senator:

• That you support the CRPD treaty and you want to see him / her vote in support of the treaty during this coming lame duck session.
• This treaty will not cost the Federal Government any additional funds.
• This treaty has been reviewed by both Republican and Democratic Attorneys General and by past Counsel to Presidents. They confirm that it does not threaten the sovereignty of the U.S. nor does it require any new legislation to comply with the treaty.
• This treaty does not limit the rights of parents nor put the UN in charge of parental decisions.
• This treaty is good for American business and for the world. It will allow us to bring our knowledge of making a society accessible to the whole world. Without it we are just a second class country sitting on the sidelines unable to comment.
• Most importantly: This treaty is very important to the U.S. disability community. U.S. leadership, following U.S. ratification of the treaty, will help raise accessibility around the world, directly helping Americans with disabilities who live, work, or travel abroad.

You can deliver the message by visiting their offices during the election break or using the link above to make calls and encouraging your colleagues and friend to do the same. Stay tuned for further information.

(Talking Points courtesy USICD: United States International Council on Disabilities)