The United Nations "Disabilities Treaty" (CRPD), is back in the Senate and a committee hearing will be held on July 22 at 10am Eastern Time.  This dangerous treaty would surrender parental rights and national sovereignty to the United Nations, while not actually benefiting Americans with disabilities.  Treaty proponents are pushing hard for ratification, knowing that conservatives are likely to pick up several additional U.S. Senate seats in November, making it even harder to ratify the treaty.

See the list of Senators that sit on the Foreign Relations Committee here, and call your senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Learn more about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities here.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  The name sounds simple and straightforward enough, right?  Who wouldn't support a treaty about the rights of disabled Americans?

But despite its name, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (or CRPD for short) actually threatens our national sovereignty and does little to nothing for Americans with disabilities.

Under the Constitution, international treaties ratified by the United States become the law of the land -- overruling the US Constitution, federal laws, state constitutions, and state laws.  The CRPD also gives the United Nations power to ensure that the United States is complying with the treaty, surrendering sovereignty directly to unelected bureaucrats at the UN.

In addition to undermining our national sovereignty, the CRPD, if ratified by the U.S. Senate, would turn the parent-child relationship on its head by establishing a dangerous new legal standard for dealing with children with disabilities: the best interests of the child standard.

In Article 7(2), the CRPD states: “In all actions concerning children with disabilities, the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.”  What this essentially means is that the government and the UN determine what is best for a child, not their parents.  Putting a government bureaucrat into all parent-child relationships will never prove to be beneficial for society.

Proponents of the CRPD will often point to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and say that the CRPD contains the same standards as the ADA.  But in a recent Townhall.com column, former Senator Rick Santorum, a national leader in the fight against the CRPD, bluntly deals with this falsehood:

Senator Santorum goes on the explain the differences between CRPD and the ADA in his column, which we highly recommend that you take a few minutes to read.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio makes an important point about the path America should follow in the international arena when it comes to the rights of the disabled:

US ratification of this treaty has no impact on other nations.  Even nations that have already ratified the CRPD are not complying with its terms, and they will not suddenly decide to do so if the United States ratifies the treaty.

In closing, Rick Santorum sums it up well:

For more information on the CRPD, as well as common misconceptions about the treaty, please visit www.freedomsdefenders.com/crpd.  There, you can also email your Senators and donate to help raise awareness about the dangers of this UN treaty.  Don't forget to like RejectCRPD on Facebook and follow @RejectCRPD on Twitter as well!

Moving forward, Senator Corker's opposition to the treaty will serve as a significant barrier to ratification of the CRPD in 2014 and beyond.  We applaud Senators Corker and Alexander for their position protecting the Constitution, national sovereignty, and parental rights.

Read the full statement:
Corker: Advocating for U.S. Disability Rights Abroad Should Not Come at the Expense of the Constitution

The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities was once again heard before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Secretary of State John Kerry testified, along with others.  Many in the committee favored the treaty, while some worked hard in opposition. The danger of this treaty cannot be stressed enough.  This treaty would have the power to fundamentally change American law. It could enshrine abortion into our law, and destroy the rights of parents. To learn more about CRPD visit freedomsdefenders.com/crpd and facebook.com/RejectCRPD.

The Senate has gone Nuclear! This past week the Senate changed the 200 year old rules, that forced the majority party to reach a 60 vote threashold to close debate on a bill, now debate can be closed with a simple majority- 50 votes plus the Vice President. This move does not endanger the Republican Legislative position, since they hold the House of Repersentatives and so they can still block bills. This will endanger our ability to block the radical canidates that Obama may nominate, both in important judical positions and on the newly created medical board. Cornelia Pillard, whose nomination Freedom's Defenders strongly opposes, will likely be approved under these conditions. This move takes away the rights of the minority party to temper the demands of their opponents. 

A deal has been struck with Iran to lift sanctions.  This dangerous move gives Iran more power to seek nuclear weapons.  Although Iran has promised to not attempt to become a nuclear threat, history teaches us that we should be concerned.  Various other regimes have promised similar things and yet secretly broke their promises.  Iran has been a constant threat to both the United States and Israel, and should therefore not be allowed to pursue any nuclear technology that could foster a nuclear weapons program.  This deal has been is an "abject surrender by the United States," according to former ambassador John Bolton.  It leaves Israel, America's closest ally, angry. 

As the United States pursued a deal with Iran, American Pastor languished in an Iranian prision, for his religious beliefs. Despite calls to release him and to pursue his release by Congress the Obama Administration failed to even ask during the negotiations with his captors. Pastor Saeed is an American Citizen, who was travelling to Iran to help establish an secular orphanage. While there he was arrested and thrown into prision. He has a wife and two children in the United States. To learn more about Pastor Saeed. visit ACLJ.org.

Despite a promised Veto, the House of Repersentatives passed a bill to amend ObamaCare which would allow people to keep their plan. Michigan Repersentative Fred Upton introduced the HR 3350. Thirty-six Democrats joined the Republicans to pass the legislation. 

A St. Louis Abortion Clinic has 14 pages of violations. This Planned Parenthood Clinic has been found in violation for failing to properly clean medical equipment among other things. 

The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) was taken up in the Senate Foriegn Relations Committee. Out of eight witnesses two opposed, five supported, and one was neutral. 

Threatens America's Sovergnity, and Parental Rights, and could enshrine abortion into American law. Micheal Farris Ph.D, J.D., L.A.A. spoke in opposition to the treaty on these grounds. During the question and answer part of the hearing proponants of the treaty attacked him personally and misrepersented his arguments, but he perservered, offering sound legal reasoning, and showing the end result of the logic of his opponants. See his full testamony here. Watch the hearing here, and read the treaty here.

Dr. Farris is a Constitutional Lawyer who has argued Cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. He has both a degree in American Law and a degree in international law. He is the chancellor of Patrick Henry College where he teaches Government, and Law. He has also coached 7 national championship moot court teams.

Alliance Defending Freedom petitons the Supreme Court to hear Elane Photography v. Willock.
Elane Photography is a business in New Mexico that refused be the photographer at a same-sex ceremony. The same-sex couple took the case before the New Mexico Human Rights Commission that which ordered the photography shop to pay a fine for opperating according to the belief that marriage is between one man and one women. The owners promptly sued. Several months latter the Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that, "There is a price to pay" in order to believe Christianity. Read More Here.

Oral Arguments regarding Prayer were heard this week at the Supreme Court. In Greece vs. Galloway a city in upstate New York was sued for opening their coucil meetings with prayer. Read the arguments here. Read More about the Case here.

Freedom


The Supreme Court heard a case this week involving the question, 'How far does a United Nations treaty go?' Read more about that here.

VA: Conservative Cuccinelli lost, although with much slimmer margins than excpected as the ObamaCare website continues to be a disaster. McAffliee took 46%, Cuccinelli took 43.5% and the Libertaritan canidate took 6.6%

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CRPD will be going before the Senate foreign relations committee today. 

This treaty endangers the sovereignty of the United States by placing the United Nations over the USA as the final authority for laws on people with disabilities. The United Nations is comprised of not only countries like the United States, but also countries that practice human rights abuses on a daily basis. These countries have no respect for life, and therefore we should not give them any say over our laws. The United Nations is an unelected group of individuals that can potentially wield power over the will of the American people. We cannot allow that to happen.

Secondly, this treaty would enshrine abortion into American law. Under the treaty, any means necessary for a disabled person to plan the spacing and number of children must be allowed. What if someone decides to only have two children, and finds they are pregnant with a third? The only way to stop them from having a third is abortion. Thus the treaty, by requiring that quote "The rights of persons with disabilities to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to age-appropriate information, reproductive and family planning education are recognized, and the means necessary to enable them to exercise these rights are provided," enshrines abortion into the law of any nation that accepts the treaty. This sentence, innocent as it may sound, could destroy millions of lives.

Thirdly, the treaty places the government as overseers of the decisions of the parents of disabled children. Parents would be stripped of their ability to make decisions in the best interest of their child; suddenly it would be the government's job. 

Because of these three issues, it is not in America's best interest, nor in the best interest of the disabled, to pass this treaty. After all, most disabled children are killed by abortion before they are born. This treaty, rather than helping the disabled, enshrines into law a way to dispose of them, a way to discriminate against them, and a way to murder the disabled.

Contact the Senators of this committee and tell them to #RejectCRPD

Senators currentally in favor of CRPD
Senator John McCain: 202-224-2235
Senator Robert Menendez: 202-224-4744
Senator Barbra Boxer: 202-224-3553
Senator Ben Cardin: 202-224-4524
Senator Jeanne Shaheen: 202-224-2841
Senator Christopher Coons: 202-224-5042
Senator Dick Durbin: 202-224-2152
Senator Tom Udall: 202-224-6621
Senator Chris Murphy: 202-224-4041
Senator Tom Kaine: 202-224-4024
Senator Edward Markey: 202-224-2742
Senator Bob Corker: 202-224-3344

Senators currentally opposed who are swing votes
Senator Jeff Flake: 202-224-4521
Senator Jim Risch: 202-224-2752
Senator Ron Johnson: 202-224-5323

Strong Opponents of CRPD
Senator Marco Rubio: 202-224-3041
Senator Rand Paul: 202-224-4343

Like our RejectCRPD page on Facebook and share it with your friends.
Follow us on Twitter: @RejectCRPD and tweet using the hashtags #RejectCRPD and #CRPD

With the United Nations CRPD treaty coming back up, it's time to tell the US Senate to protect parental rights and national sovereignty by voting no on ratification of this dangerous treaty.

You can make a difference.  The New York state director for our partner organization, ParentalRights.org, is organizing a Twitter Rally telling the Senate to #RejectCRPD.  Please join us and tweet anytime now through the end of the year as we tell the Senate to say no to this dangerous treaty.  Learn more and join the effort by clicking here!

You can learn more about the CRPD (also referred to as the "UN Disabilities treaty") at freedomsdefenders.com/crpd & hslda.org/crpd.

We've heard that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is coming up again in the US Senate.  The Foreign Relations Committee is expected to hold hearings on the treaty in late October.

What are the dangers of this treaty?  Here's what out friends at HSLDA, who have been front and center during the entire battle over the CRPD, have said:

TAKE ACTION

Learn more about the CRPD: www.freedomsdefenders.com/CRPD.

Call your Senators and tell them to reject the CRPD: www.freedomsdefenders.com/action

Follow the fight on Twitter: @RejectCRPD

Senator Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, spoke against the CRPD on the Senate floor today.  Here are some excerpts of his remarks:

"When Alexander Hamilton explained the American system of representative self-government, he famously said that in America 'the people govern; here, they act by their immediate representatives.'  Those words today are inscribed above an entrance to the House of Representatives in the Capitol, a building that Thomas Jefferson described as 'dedicated to the sovereignty of the people'...

The CRPD would undermine that sovereignty, compromise self-government, and give the last word to the United Nations.

"Ratifying the CRPD will not establish a single right for a single American, it will not provide for Americans with disabilities anything that American law has not or could not provide.   It would not even help Americans with disabilities who travel overseas because their treatment depends on the laws and policies of other countries, not ours. "

Read Senator Hatch's full speech at hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2013/7/hatch-u-n-disabilites-treaty-a-threat-to-american-sovereignty-and-self-government