When 38 Senators voted against ratification of the Convention on Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in December 2012, they suffered no adverse consequences attributable to that vote. So, I think that Senators leaning in that direction now feel safe.
Historically, when a treaty fails to be ratified the first time out, it seldom is dusted off and brought up again. So, unless Majority Leader Reid knows he has the votes for passage, he is not going to bring the CRPD to the Senate floor this month or any other time this year.
Given these stark facts, painfully honest facts, I have three suggestions.
First, the Noah's Ark strategy. Two-by-two go have a quiet conversation with a real live Senator away from his/her office. One of the pair should be an advocate for the CRPD and the other should be a homeschooler or a priest. Make your points and hash things out. If no common ground emerges at least you tried.
Second, some of us have more clout than others strategy. Many Senators who have concerns about the CRPD may feel more comfortable talking to veterans, because they are more likely to support the Senator in the next election, in large numbers. Or, these Senators may feel more receptive to business leaders because these leaders will help in future fund raising campaigns. If you are a veteran or a business leader go talk to your Senator and ask him/her to support ratification. At the very least the Senator will make a mental calculation about votes and/or money during the course of your conversation.
Third, tweet the mainstream media strategy. Ask the people you spend time with -- such as Wolf Blitzer, Jon Stewart, Fareed Zakaria, Candy Crowley, Margaret Warner, Judy Woodruff, Gwen Ifill, Brian Williams, and the folks at Politico, the Huff Post, the Daily Beast, Roll Call, the Hill, and others to cover the ratification of the CRPD.
Time is short. Our options are limited.
Thank you.
Common Grounder
New book: A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
CRPD Successfully Reported Out of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The vote was 12-6 in favor of the Convention on the a Rights of Persons with Disabilities(CRPD). I want to thank Senator Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and all other Senators, especially Senator Harkin, for helping getting us one step closer to ratification.
Here is Senator Menendez' press release --
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes the Disabilities Treaty
Washington, DC –U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Committee passed the Disabilities Treaty by a vote of 12 to 6.
Here is Senator Menendez' press release --
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Passes the Disabilities Treaty
Washington, DC –U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Committee passed the Disabilities Treaty by a vote of 12 to 6.
“One hundred forty six nations and the European Union have ratified the Disabilities Treaty, but it will require American leadership to ensure the treaty’s protections become a reality. The treaty embodies the highest of American standards. From the U.S. Constitution, it borrows principles of equality and the protection of minorities. From the Declaration of Independence, it reflects the unalienable right to pursue happiness. From the Americans with Disabilities Act and other landmark accessibility laws, the treaty enshrines the concept of reasonable accommodation. When we lead, the world follows, and only the United States can show the way in raising worldwide accessibility to the American standard. The Disabilities Treaty is essential to improving the lives of over 1 billion people around the globe with disabilities, as well as the 58 million Americans with disabilities right here at home, including 5.5 million disabled American veterans. This treaty should be ratified and I will continue to work with Democrats and Republicans to achieve this worthwhile and meaningful goal.”
###
Our job now is two-fold. First, urge Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, to put the CRPD ON THE SENATE CALENDAR FOR NEXT WEEK. His number in D.C. is tel:202-224-3542. His number in Reno, Nevada is tel:775-686-5750.
Second, our job is to contact our Senators, both Democrats and Republicans, and ask them to vote "yes" on the CRPD. Contacts made by veterans, business leaders, CEOs of organizations, friends and family members of Senators from MO, AR, NC, GA, MS, IN, AZ, ND, OH, and NE will be especially valuable.
My heart is full of thanks to all of you who helped us get this far. Please do all you can in the next few days to make ratification of the CRPD a reality. The world is watching. We can show them once and for all what we are made of and what we stand for -- equality, freedom, opportunity and access for people with disabilities.
Thank you.
CommonGrounder
New book: A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
Monday, July 21, 2014
CRPD and Room S-116 in the Capitol
I have never been in S-116 of the Capitol. I tried to find its seating capacity, but had no luck. Given what it is used for, I sense that it has limited seating capacity. Here's what the Senate Foreign Relations Committee website has to say about it --
These rooms, S–116 and S–117, were first occupied around 1859 with the completion of the new Senate wing of the Capitol. Until their assignment to the Foreign Relations Committee, the rooms housed a variety of tenants. Former occupants, whose names are reflective of the concerns of a growing nation, included the committees on Retrenchment, Patents, Agriculture, Immigration, Territories, Female Suffrage, and Naval Affairs. At the turn of the century, S–116 even served as the Senate’s post office.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee uses these rooms to receive visiting dignitaries and to conduct national security briefings and hearings in executive session. The rooms have hosted American presidents, heads of foreign nations, secretaries of state and defense, ambassadors, and others who have informed and advised the committee in its fulfillment of the Senate’s constitutional role in foreign policy.
The question nagging me is -- "Why was this room picked by Chairman Menendez for the mark up of the resolution on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)"? It is important now for us to know what members of the Committee are saying to each other about the CRPD. It is important for us to hear about existing objections and attempts to resolve them. It is important for us to have a sense of how strongly and passionately objections are held. We need all of this to guide us as we approach Senators about their floor vote. None of this contextual information will be ours to weigh if we can't get in the room. A report on the CRPD will not have such information.
We have been encouraged to come to the Capitol tomorrow at 10 am even if we can't get into S-116, although there are hints that some might get in S-116. Some have said we need to be a physical presence. We are more than visual aids. We are entitled in large numbers to watch and ponder how the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations debates and constructs a CRPD resolution "live". The fact that that is not likely to happen is very regrettable and does not send a welcoming message to those who have worked so long and hard to make the case for ratification of the CRPD.
Thank you.
Common Grounder
New book, A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
CRPD Committee Mark Up Is Closed to the Public
News flash. I thought we would be able to attend the mark upon the resolution on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in S-116 of the Capitol at 10 AM tomorrow. I coordinated with two friends for a ride and to push my wheelchair. I was very excited.
The Chairman of the Senate Foreign a Relations Committee, Robert Menendez (NJ), picked a room right off the Senate floor. My sources said these rooms are not open to the public. In December 2012, Chairman Menendez held the last mark up on a CRPD resolution in the committee room in Dirksen. His opting for S-116 this time is beyond disappointing.
We are being urged to be a strong presence in the Capitol building tomorrow, indicating we support the mark up and urge a Senate floor vote as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Pat Morrissey
New book -- http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
The Chairman of the Senate Foreign a Relations Committee, Robert Menendez (NJ), picked a room right off the Senate floor. My sources said these rooms are not open to the public. In December 2012, Chairman Menendez held the last mark up on a CRPD resolution in the committee room in Dirksen. His opting for S-116 this time is beyond disappointing.
We are being urged to be a strong presence in the Capitol building tomorrow, indicating we support the mark up and urge a Senate floor vote as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Pat Morrissey
New book -- http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
Sunday, July 20, 2014
CRPD and Patriot Voices
Three days ago Senator Santorum sent a tweet (https://twitter.com/ricksantorum/status/489797871751794689) urging the rejection of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and a link to some talking points on the Patriot Voices website.
Those talking points don't take into account some indisputable facts. According to Wikipedia the U.S. was a partner in 100 treaties between 1776 and 1949. I counted them. Since 1950 we have been a partner in 72. Not once has the U.N. or any other international body told us how to do something, changed how we govern ourselves, or used force against us in our country because they didn't like how we were complying with a treaty. It is incredulous that Senator Santorum believes this will happen if the Senate ratifies the CRPD.
Well, he might say, "there's always a first time, once something is on the books."
Not likely. He ignores the recent Supreme Court decision in Bond vs. the U.S. He is silent on the legally binding reservations, understandings, and declarations which will accompany the CRPD, one of which will explicitly address parents' rights. Why?
Only he knows. He is a smart man. He has aspirations to become a national leader. One of his priorities is to promote U.S. manufacturing. Another is to restore economic freedom and opportunity for all Americans. Few of us find fault with these. But, if he wants to be taken seriously by a broad range of us, he needs to stop saying things that scare some people and leave the rest of us shaking our heads in disbelief.
According to the Patriot Voices website 21,000 plus people have signed a petition asking the Senate to reject ratification of the CRPD. We must counter this petition with calls to Senators urging ratification. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on the CRPD on July 22, 2014 at 10 AM in S-116 of the Capitol. After that, all Senators will vote on ratification of the CRPD the week of July 28th.
Clear-headedness is with us. The facts are with us. Joining 147 other countries in ratifying the CRPD is a smart move, the right move.
Thank you.
Common Grounder
New Kindle book -- A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Book link: http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
If you are interested in supporting the ratification of the disability rights treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also check out:
www.disabilitytreaty.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RatifyCRPD
Blog: www.wecandothisifwetry.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AuntPip
Those talking points don't take into account some indisputable facts. According to Wikipedia the U.S. was a partner in 100 treaties between 1776 and 1949. I counted them. Since 1950 we have been a partner in 72. Not once has the U.N. or any other international body told us how to do something, changed how we govern ourselves, or used force against us in our country because they didn't like how we were complying with a treaty. It is incredulous that Senator Santorum believes this will happen if the Senate ratifies the CRPD.
Well, he might say, "there's always a first time, once something is on the books."
Not likely. He ignores the recent Supreme Court decision in Bond vs. the U.S. He is silent on the legally binding reservations, understandings, and declarations which will accompany the CRPD, one of which will explicitly address parents' rights. Why?
Only he knows. He is a smart man. He has aspirations to become a national leader. One of his priorities is to promote U.S. manufacturing. Another is to restore economic freedom and opportunity for all Americans. Few of us find fault with these. But, if he wants to be taken seriously by a broad range of us, he needs to stop saying things that scare some people and leave the rest of us shaking our heads in disbelief.
According to the Patriot Voices website 21,000 plus people have signed a petition asking the Senate to reject ratification of the CRPD. We must counter this petition with calls to Senators urging ratification. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on the CRPD on July 22, 2014 at 10 AM in S-116 of the Capitol. After that, all Senators will vote on ratification of the CRPD the week of July 28th.
Clear-headedness is with us. The facts are with us. Joining 147 other countries in ratifying the CRPD is a smart move, the right move.
Thank you.
Common Grounder
New Kindle book -- A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Book link: http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
If you are interested in supporting the ratification of the disability rights treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also check out:
www.disabilitytreaty.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RatifyCRPD
Blog: www.wecandothisifwetry.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AuntPip
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to Vote on CRPD July 22
The first day we've been waiting for is finally going to happen. Tuesday, on July 22, 2014 the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations will vote on a resolution on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The time will be 10 AM. The location will be S – 116 of the U.S. Capitol building. On the committee's website, www.foreign.senate.gov, click on business meeting. On that page you will have access to a copy of the ratification package that President Obama sent to the committee in 2012. If you want you can download it. That will be the foundation, I suspect, of the resolution that the committee puts forward for a vote. After the committee vote, which I am sure will be a majority in favor of the resolution, the resolution will goes to the Senate floor. That will happen the following week. The resolution will pass there if two thirds of the Senators, present and voting, vote for it.
In the meantime I urge everyone to contact their Senators and to request that they vote yes for the resolution. I also urge that you consider reading my new book, A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, http://t.co//Vigyant7aM.
Our time has arrived. Now let's make the most of it.
Thank you.
Patricia Morrissey
New Kindle book -- A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Book link: http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
If you are interested in supporting the ratification of the disability rights treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also check out:
www.disabilitytreaty.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RatifyCRPD
Blog: www.wecandothisifwetry.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AuntPip
In the meantime I urge everyone to contact their Senators and to request that they vote yes for the resolution. I also urge that you consider reading my new book, A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, http://t.co//Vigyant7aM.
Our time has arrived. Now let's make the most of it.
Thank you.
Patricia Morrissey
New Kindle book -- A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Book link: http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
If you are interested in supporting the ratification of the disability rights treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also check out:
www.disabilitytreaty.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RatifyCRPD
Blog: www.wecandothisifwetry.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AuntPip
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
CRPD vs Fiction
I just read the piece by Abigail Wilkinson for CNSNews -- Sen. Menendez: Senate will reconsider the controversial U.N. Disabilities Treaty
(http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/abigail-wilkinson/sen-menendez-senate-will-reconsider-controversial-un-disabilities). She quotes Wendy Wright, Director of Governmental Affairs for C-Fam, a lot. In short, Wendy said if the Senate ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) abortion rights will be expanded, parents' rights about decisions concerning their children will be controlled by the U.N., and U.S. sovereignty will be weakened.
On August 13, 2013 I wrote a blog post on Article 25, which deals with access to health care, including reproductive health services. I put the text of the article right in the blog post. The key phrase was --
(a) Provide persons with disabilities with the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care and programmes as provided to other persons, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health and population-based public health programmes;
No more, no less than anyone else, Ladies and Gentlemen. Not expansion of abortion rights.
On October 30, 2013, I did a blog post on statistics and the CRPD. Of the countries, which had ratified the CRPD by that date, 66 ban abortion outright. These 66 had no problem with the text in Article 25 of the CRPD.
On August 14, 2013 I wrote a post on Article 7, The Best Interests of the Child, and laid out how federal and state laws work with regard to interests of children. On October 23, 2013 I gave a link to a scary video put out by the opposition to the CRPD -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe38o_ftOfI. Check it out -- some people believe that storm troopers from the U.N. will take over our school system and ban homeschooling.
I wrote several posts related to sovereignty and federalism -- August 22, 2013, June 1, 2, and 4, 2014. Two conservative legal scholars and the Supreme Court in Bond vs. the United States showed how our system of government and the division of power between federal and state government can continue to work well thanks to the Constitution.
I just wish Abigail Wilkinson and Wendy Wright had read my posts. If they had, I don't think they would have relied so heavily on fiction-based talking points.
Thank you.
Patricia Morrissey
New Kindle book -- A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Book link: http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
If you are interested in supporting the ratification of the disability rights treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also check out:
www.disabilitytreaty.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RatifyCRPD
Blog: www.wecandothisifwetry.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AuntPip
(http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/abigail-wilkinson/sen-menendez-senate-will-reconsider-controversial-un-disabilities). She quotes Wendy Wright, Director of Governmental Affairs for C-Fam, a lot. In short, Wendy said if the Senate ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) abortion rights will be expanded, parents' rights about decisions concerning their children will be controlled by the U.N., and U.S. sovereignty will be weakened.
On August 13, 2013 I wrote a blog post on Article 25, which deals with access to health care, including reproductive health services. I put the text of the article right in the blog post. The key phrase was --
(a) Provide persons with disabilities with the same range, quality and standard of free or affordable health care and programmes as provided to other persons, including in the area of sexual and reproductive health and population-based public health programmes;
No more, no less than anyone else, Ladies and Gentlemen. Not expansion of abortion rights.
On October 30, 2013, I did a blog post on statistics and the CRPD. Of the countries, which had ratified the CRPD by that date, 66 ban abortion outright. These 66 had no problem with the text in Article 25 of the CRPD.
On August 14, 2013 I wrote a post on Article 7, The Best Interests of the Child, and laid out how federal and state laws work with regard to interests of children. On October 23, 2013 I gave a link to a scary video put out by the opposition to the CRPD -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe38o_ftOfI. Check it out -- some people believe that storm troopers from the U.N. will take over our school system and ban homeschooling.
I wrote several posts related to sovereignty and federalism -- August 22, 2013, June 1, 2, and 4, 2014. Two conservative legal scholars and the Supreme Court in Bond vs. the United States showed how our system of government and the division of power between federal and state government can continue to work well thanks to the Constitution.
I just wish Abigail Wilkinson and Wendy Wright had read my posts. If they had, I don't think they would have relied so heavily on fiction-based talking points.
Thank you.
Patricia Morrissey
New Kindle book -- A Moral Imperative: U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Book link: http://t.co/Vigyant7aM
If you are interested in supporting the ratification of the disability rights treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, also check out:
www.disabilitytreaty.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RatifyCRPD
Blog: www.wecandothisifwetry.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AuntPip
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