Two More Senators To Vote Against Law of the Sea Treaty

by William Bigelow12 Jul 2012, 1:25 PM PDT

Can the US Senate act in time to prevent the United States from ratifying the Obama-favored United Nations International Maritime Treaty? The treaty will fail if 34 votes can be mustered against it, as a two-thirds majority is required for passage. Two more senators, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) are the latest senators to sign a letter to Harry Reid saying they will vote against it, bringing the total of senators opposed to 30.

The letter written by the Senators clearly delineates the issues that make the treaty dangerous:

“We understand that Chairman Kerry has renewed his efforts to pursue Senate ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are writing to let you know that we believe this Convention reflects political, economic, and ideological assumptions which are inconsistent with American values and sovereignty.

By its current terms, the Law of the Sea Convention encompasses economic and technology interests in the deep sea, redistribution of wealth from developed to undeveloped nations, freedom of navigation in the deep sea and exclusive economic zones which may impact maritime security, and environmental regulation over virtually all sources of pollution.

To effect the treaty’s broad regime of governance, we are particularly concerned that United States sovereignty could be subjugated in many areas to a supranational government that is chartered by the United Nations under the 1982 Convention. Further, we are troubled that compulsory dispute resolution could pertain to public and private activities including law enforcement, maritime security, business operations, and nonmilitary activities performed aboard military vessels.

If this treaty comes to the floor, we will oppose its ratification.”

The letter says it all: the treaty opens the United States to be subject to the whims and vagaries of other nations and the anti-American United Nations. It sets an extremely dangerous precedent.

In order to facilitate an effort to encourage senators to vote against Obama and his internationalist agenda, below is a list of the senators who oppose the treaty. If your senator isn’t on the list, you can contact him/her and demand a vote against the treaty.

The senators opposed are Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), David Vitter (R-La.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Pat Toomey (R-Penn.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).