Lawmakers Pledge UN Arms Treaty Opposition
The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty will infringe on the U.S. ability to possess weaponry and sell arms to key allies, said two identical House (here) and Senate (here) letters submitted to President Barack Obama on Oct. 15. The letter was…
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signed by 50 senators and 181 House members. The parameters of the treaty remain unclear, said the letter. “The treaty allows amendments by a three-quarters majority vote. As the treaty is amended, it will become a source of political and legal pressure on the U.S. to comply with amendments it was unwilling to accept,” said the lawmakers. “This would circumvent the power and duty of the Senate to provide its advice and consent on treaty commitments before they are assumed by the United States.” There are currently 113 signatories to the treaty, but only seven nations have completed ratification, the UN says (here). The Senate needs a two-thirds majority to ratify the treaty. Lawmakers in the House and Senate also expressed opposition to the treaty in the months and days leading up to its signing (see 13092610).