UN treaty falls short

The GOP stopped passage of a disabilities treaty today in the Senate. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities needed 67 votes, but only got 61. There are 126 other countries that are already party to the treaty, which was modeled on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Republican Senator Mike Lee led opposition among conservative senators, arguing passage of the treaty could make the US fall under United Nations sovereignty--even though only US law can be the basis for litigation in American courtrooms. Meanwhile, former Republican presidential candidates John McCain and Bob Dole, both of whom suffer from disabilities as a result of their military service, supported the treaty.