© 2024 St. Louis Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Blunt Votes To Block Ratification Of Disability Treaty

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Bill Greenblatt | UPI
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt in 2010.

Republicans in the Senate have blocked ratification of a United Nations treaty that would have helped countries protect the rights of disabled people.

Although it’s modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act - which was passed over twenty years ago - 38 Republicans voted against the treaty.

Republican Senator Roy Blunt voted against it, and told reporters Thursday that he objected to it being brought up during the lame duck session.

“Don’t bring these treaties up when you’ve just got a whole bunch of new senators that have just been sent here by the voters," Blunt said. "I do think as you look at the disability treaty, there are more and more concerns about it.”

Among those concerns is a fear that the treaty would interfere with the ability of parents to home school their children, although the treaty could not be enforced by any U.S. courts.

Senator Claire McCaskill voted in favor of the treaty, joining her fellow Democrats and 8 Republicans. Click here to see the breakdown of how each senator voted.

Follow Chris McDaniel on Twitter@csmcdaniel

  • See more stories on politics and policy from St. Louis Public Radio, the St. Louis Beacon and Nine Network of Public Media at BeyondNovember.org.