Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, last week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported out the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

How fitting that this treaty was considered and passed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the 22nd anniversary of the enactment of Americans with Disabilities Act.

If anyone questions how important this treaty is to the millions of Americans living with disabilities, all they needed to do was look around the room at the hearing earlier this month. The hearing room was filled to capacity--standing room only--with people urging the Senate to ratify this important document.

The United States has led the world in creating the legal framework, building the infrastructure, and designing facilities that ensure inclusion and opportunity for those living with disabilities. We celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act--``ADA''--by reporting the treaty out of the Foreign Relations Committee on a strong bipartisan basis. I thank Sen. Kerry for holding that hearing and moving the treaty through the committee process.

As the majority leader has made clear, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will soon be considered on the Senate floor. The Members of this body will have an opportunity to affirm our Nation's leadership on disability issues by ratifying this important treaty. I hope that we will do so. And I hope we will ratify this treaty with the strong bipartisan support that has always characterized the Senate's work on disability issues.

For the 54 million Americans living with a disability, laws like the ADA have provided an opportunity to learn, travel, work, and live independently. Perhaps no one knows that better than Ann Ford of Springfield, Illinois. Ann had polio as a child and for many years she commuted on crutches. This challenging and energy-consuming task required Ann to meticulously plan every trip. At the grocery store, Ann would purchase all she needed in 20 minutes, in order to be home before becoming exhausted.

After the ADA was enacted, the store manager invited Ann to use a recently purchased electric scooter. Ann remembers that day clearly, in part because she shopped for an hour and a half going up and down every aisle in the store.

Most of us don't give a second thought to buying groceries. But for Ann and millions like her, our Nation's commitment to removing physical barriers has expended their world. Now, we have an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment and advance disability rights around the world by ratifying this treaty.

The support for this treaty is broad and bipartisan. I thank my friend, Senator John McCain, for leading this effort with me. Heis a great ally and without him we would not have made such great progress.

I also thank Senator Barrasso, Harkin, Tom Udall, Moran, and Coons for their bipartisan support and dedication to the ratification effort.

This treaty is supported by 165 disability organizations, including the United States International Council on Disabilities, the American Association of People with Disabilities, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, and the National Disability Rights Network, and 21 veterans groups, including the Wounded Warrior Project, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars are also calling on us to ratify this treaty. President George H.W. Bush, who signed the ADA into law, and former Senator Bob Dole, a lifelong advocate for disability rights, are strong proponents of this treaty.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a human-rights treaty that seeks to ensure that people living with disabilities are afforded the same opportunities available to others. Thanks to the ADA and similar laws, the United States has been so successful providing opportunities, increasing accessibility, and protecting the rights of those living with disabilities that our Nation is already in full compliance with all terms of the treaty.

Before transmitting this treaty, the Obama administration conducted an exhaustive comparison of the treaty's requirements to current U.S. law. It concluded that the United States does not need to pass any new laws or regulations in order to meet the terms of the treaty. The fact that we already meet or exceed the treaty's requirements is a testament to our nation's commitment to equality and opportunity for those living with disabilities. There are, nevertheless, very important reasons to ratify this treaty.

Disabled Veterans and Other Americans Traveling Abroad--There are more than 5.5 million veterans living with disabilities. They and thousands of other Americans living with disabilities travel, study, work, and serve overseas, often with their families. Ratifying the treaty will ensure they enjoy the same accessibility and opportunity abroad that they have here at home.

Accessibility in Other Countries--ratifying this treaty will give the United States a seat at the international table, so that the U.S. can provide its guidance and expertise to other countries working to adopt laws, upgrade infrastructure, and modernize facilities to meet the very high standards we have set.

Leveling the Playing field for American Businesses--American businesses have invested time and resources to comply with the ADA. Businesses in some countries are not required to comply with similar standards. Compliance with the treaty levels the playing field by requiring foreign businesses to meet accessibility standards similar to those in the U.S.

New Markets for American Businesses--we lead the world in developing accessible products and technology. As other countries comply with the treaty, American businesses will be able to export their expertise and products to the new markets serving the more than 1 billion people living with disabilities around the world.

While this treaty will ensure inclusion and access for those living with disabilities, it is also important that we note what the treaty will not do.

The treaty will not change any U.S. law or compromise U.S. sovereignty in any way.

The treaty will not lead to new law suits because its terms do not create any new rights and it cannot be enforced in any U.S. Court.

For families that choose to educate their children at home, the treaty will not change any current rights or obligations.

The treaty will not require the U.S. to appropriate any new funding or resources to comply with its terms--not a single dime.

Leading pro life groups, like the National Right to Life Committee, confirm that the treaty does not promote, expand access, or create a right to an abortion.

Thanks to decades of bipartisan cooperation, our country embodies the worldwide gold standard for those living with disabilities.

When the Senate ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we can be proud that our coworkers, friends, family members, and courageous veterans will soon enjoy the same access and opportunity when they travel abroad that they have come to expect here at home.

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