Tell Senator Reid to schedule a vote on CRPD!
On July 22, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to recommend ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to the full Senate. The CRPD, also known as the Disability Treaty, is now eligible to be voted on by the Senate.In order for the CRPD to be put to a vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) must decide to schedule a vote, which he will not do if he does not think the CRPD will pass. To encourage him to put the CRPD to a vote, call his Washington, D.C., office at 202-224-3542.
Tell REpublican Senators to vote YES on the CRPD!
While the majority of Senators, a group which includes Democrats and Republicans such as John McCain, support the treaty, a number of key Republican Senators needed to achieve the required two thirds majority vote remain undecided.
Handicap International and our Goodwill Ambassadors Jessica Cox, the world’s first armless pilot, and Patrick Chamberlain have been meeting with these Senators over the past 12 months to persuade them to support the CRPD. More than 9,000 Americans signed Handicap International’s petition to Senators to support the treaty. If you have not signed it yet, you can add your name to the petition now.
Most importantly, Republicans Senators still on the fence about the CRPD need to hear voices of support from directly from American voters. To do your part, call the state offices of the following Senators and tell them to vote “YES” on the CRPD!
- Senator Flake of Arizona: (602) 840-1891
- Senator Boozman of Arkansas: (501) 372-7153
- Senator Chambliss of Georgia: (770) 763-9090
- Senator Coats of Indiana: (317) 554-0750
- Senator Cochran of Mississippi: (601)-965-4459
- Senator Blunt of Missouri: (573) 442-8151
- Senator Johanns of Nebraska: (402) 476-1400
- Senator Portman of Ohio: (614)-469-6774
We’ll post the latest new about the CRPD on this page, so stay tuned!
Visit www.disabilitytreaty.org to learn more about the treaty, and the myths the opposition are spreading to convince Senators to vote against it.