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Bob Dole couldn't persuade Senate Republicans.
Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) made a rare Senate appearance this morning, sitting in a wheelchair just off the floor so that members would have to see him as they entered the chamber. Why? Because they were poised to vote on ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and Dole hoped to send a message.
It didn't work. The Senate killed the treaty this afternoon, with a final vote of 61 to 38, which seems like a lopsided majority, but which fell short of the two-thirds necessary for ratification. Eight Republicans broke ranks and joined Democrats in support of the treaty, but the clear majority of the Senate GOP voted to block it.
The U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, for those who've forgotten, is a human rights treaty negotiated by the George H.W. Bush administration, which has been ratified by 126 nations, including China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.
But most Senate Republicans saw it as a threat to American "sovereignty," even though the treaty wouldn't have required the United States to change its laws. When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the treaty with bipartisan support in July, Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) explained the proposal simply "raises the [international] standard to our level without requiring us to go further."
In other words, we wouldn't actually have to do anything except say we like the treaty -- and then wait for other signatories around the world to catch up to the United States' Americans with Disabilities Act.
The treaty was endorsed by Dole, John McCain, and Dick Lugar, among other prominent Republican figures, but it didn't matter. The GOP's right-wing base, led in part by Rick Santorum, raised hysterical fears about the treaty, and most Senate Republicans took their cues from the party's activists, not the party's elder statesmen.
Update: Here's the roll call on the vote. All 38 opponents were Republicans.
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Republicans have no heart --or soul ! Anyone who could walk by Senator Dole , sitting in a wheelchair and after serving in the House or Senate with him for all of the years he was there, and then go into the SEnate and vote against a bill that would help the disabled don't deserve to be called Americans, let alone members of our governing body ! I hope the people of this nation read who the 38 who voted against the bill will be voted out of office in 2014 -they don't deserve to be there !
And really much of the time 51 will not pass anything...it should but it doesn't. As for this bit of news...terrible. I am blessed to live in a country that has helped my disabled daughter. Why wouldn't we want other Nations to follow our exmple? Can I just say how sad I am for even one person who will not be considered because some jack-ass blocks a treaty that would encourage another Nation to help those who need it the most. Shameful.
Might I point out the the United Sates invented the United Nations, and talked the rest of the world into joining. The headquarters for the United Nations is on the United States soil, and is located in our biggest city New York City. I am sure that the United States has more influence over the United Nations than the United Nations has influence over the United States, so not passing this is just more paranoia from the reactionary right wing. The right wings former golden boy President Bush drew up the treaty, and his own party shot it down after all the years invested getting it through the United Nations, so I have to say today's right wing is even dumber the the golden boy of yesterday.
Anyone who could walk past Senator Bob Dole, after serving with him over the years in the House & Senate doesn't deserve to be an American , let alone a member of the governing body in Washington. Republicans have no heart --or soul ! Shameless !
For anyone who is asking "If the treaty doesn't effect US law, then why ratify it", the question should actually be "Why NOT ratify it?". By ratifying this treaty, we show that we are a civilized nation of people who care about our disabled. For god sake, CHINA even ratified it and this is a nation that locks Chinese Wal-Mart employees into warehouses when fires start.
those who voted against it only confirm the fact that these people are what you pick up on your shoes if you are unlucky.
Why is it that democrats are unable to make a point without spewing hate filled rhetoric? Can’t you make a point or present your opinion without name calling for Pete’s sake? Why not stop and actually listen to the opinion of others for a change. People that don't agree with you are not EVIL. They have a differing opionion. This is precisely why I can’t stomach watching 1 minute of MSNBC.
Who at MSNBC called Republicans evil?
@Nabbymom, I would venture to say that overall conservatives on this board are treated better than any Dem would be on a conservative board. Yes, we do lose our patience, and some of us are more blunt in our expressions than others, but at least conservatives' posts aren't deleted, and someone in the community will usually attempt to engage without too much rancor -- unlike any conservative board I've ever come across.
Well sometimes conservative comments are collapsed or deleted, but it typically has to do with that person saying things like "you're a bunch of morons" or "maddow is a dyke," or that person is plagiarizing someone else's work, or that person is simply writing as much information at once in order to spam the thread and make it difficult for people to read on without having to sort through the spam first.
If you earnestly come to have a conversation you will mostly be treated with respect. There are a few here who will insult you no matter what which I don't condone, but for the most part if you treat people with respect and avoid "hahahaha libs are so dumb" and instead give the intellectual reasons for why you believe X, Y, and Z you will be given an honest discussion back. But you have to show that you're willing to have a conversation and not resort to childish name calling. I think that's a fair standard to set: you knew this was a liberal blog when you came here, you knew that most people here would disagree with you politically, so you knew coming in that you were going to have to be prepared for people to not nod and agree. Yet more often than not Republicans or conservatives or libertarians blog here and then act SHOCKED that people here don't automatically nod in agreement like sheep. That's not the way it works. If you want to argue a different point or an opposing view to the main stream of this website then you're allowed to (that's PERFECTLY FINE), but you have to make that argument well reasoned, with supporting evidence, and without name calling. Do that and 99% of the people here will respond in kindness towards you.
And how many righties, on various threads, start every comment by isulting or name calling? And MSNBC is far too leniant with the right. They give them more "talking" points than they should It is rare that any of the MSNBC host call out the right wing lies. But nobody is forcing you to watch or come to this blog. By all means, go back to Fox Lies where you feel at home.
I have disliked Republicans for many years, but they hav e now given me every reason to absolutely hate them. Our country and our people would be much better off without them in our congress. I'll bet those who voted against this treaty (and the many bills to help our people rather than a few corporations and the rich) claim to be Christians. Well....sorry....they are NOT!
These dumbass teabaggers should be allowed to succeed from our country. We would be better off without a bunch white trash uneducated losers and wingnuts.
Out of curiosity I went to Fox News to see if there was a possible explanation by the GOP on why they had a problem with this treaty and it is amazing that the poor Fox News followers will not know of this because there was nothing mentioned. I hope that Rachel is keeping a list of all the ridiculous things the GOP are doing so that come the mid-term elections the voters memories can be refreshed.
Rick Santorum is a total douchecanoe.
understatement of the how-ever-long-he's-been-alive.
Politigus:
Your comment about "registering your disabled child 'immediately after birth'" is taken out of context and presented in an alarmist way.
Here is what the treaty actually says (Article 18 para 2): "Children with disabilities shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by their parents."
Children born in societies with some modicum of a health care system generally do get registered immediately after birth. In our society, it's called a Birth Certificate.
The statement in the treaty stipulates that babies born with disabilities ought not be denied registration, human status, a name, a nationality, a home with loving parents.
Ms/Maddow, I hope you and your colleagues at MSNBC get on air with this travisty. Name every Senator, starting with Santorem, and put their faces up there for all to see. This "party line" of the UN Treaty jeoperdizes US sovereignty and equal health care could lead to abortions, is absolutely insane. This whole Treaty was based on our laws, and now that the UN has adopted our laws into said Treaty, Republicans decide this is wrong? What in the hell are they using to think with? It sure isn't their brains.
Such joyous pride the TEA-Republican's have in killing grossly needed help. Senator Dole must be extremely proud!
I'm from Kansas and I've never voted for Bob Dole-ever-but I'll bet even HE is having second thoughts about what has happened to the Republican party in the last few years!
Each step Republicans are taking after the election is a step on their "Green Mile". Dead men walking as the saying goes.
No No No. Obstruct obstruct obstruct. Delay delay delay. A typical Republican Politician's day.
drop those U.N. sobs
how Christian of them.
@Proper I hope if you ever break your legs it it's in a country like Sauda Arabia or Cuba that approved the treaty so you can be treated with dignity.
This is ABSOLUTE PROOF that the Tea Party Facist Republicans do not give a flyin' figg (cleaned up for the public) about the disabled! As far as they're concerned we're just a bunch of useless trash that they would rather see dead! They don't care whether a person is disabled from a disease or birth defect or a war injury. We're just nothing to them! Well, I've got news for them! We WILL fight back any and every way we can, whether by protesting or at the ballot box or even just writing letters to the local paper! We are here and we are still Americans and we are human beings!
Why am I not surprised. This is such a typical republican move. Thanks guys. I hope that none of you ever have to experience being confined to a wheelchair, or have to negotiate your way through a store while on crutches. Idiots!
Remember that a large number of conservative Republicans consider the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) to be invasive, freedom-crushing socialism. By ratifying the treaty, they would be endorsing the US standard for caring for those with disabilities, and they do not agree with this standard. They think that businesses are forced by draconian federal regulations to be far too accommodating of disabled Americans... and they have shown this in the past by voting against expansions and extensions of the ADA.
Shame on those who walked past Dole and voted against this treaty!
i was scream-reading this in my head at volume level 11.
They should all be ashamed of themselves. My father was a paraplegic due to polio as a child and I have never forgotten his heartbreak over not being allowed to board a plane before the ADA law was passed. He was callously told "If you can't walk up the stairs, you can't fly." He was a brilliant man who educated himself by teaching school and attending summer school for 25 summers to earn a Masters Degree. He never considered himself disabled, but the artificial barriers placed in his way were hard to bear at times. What goes around, comes around.