Barton urges President not to sign UN Arms Trade Treaty

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Joins 75 colleagues in push to preserve constitutional rights

WASHINGTON: Rep. Joe Barton and 75 of his colleagues in the House of Representatives recently introduced House Resolution 814 that urges the President not to sign the United Nations (UN) Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The bipartisan resolution warns that if the President does sign the treaty, which is being negotiated, it will not be binding and no federal funds will be appropriated to implement it unless it has consent by the Senate and has been the subject of implementing legislation by the Congress.

After several delays, the Obama Administration recently voted in the UN to move forward with negotiating the ATT. The next meeting on the ATT will take place during a March 2013 conference.
 
Rep. Barton co-sponsored the resolution because he is a constant supporter of the Second Amendment.

“The right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Constitution,” said Rep. Barton. “I will oppose any measure that would infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans – that includes this arms treaty.  I will continue to oppose efforts by the UN or any other person, organization, or country to fracture or supersede our Constitution.”

Some of the highlights in the resolution include:

  • The ATT “poses significant risk to the national security, foreign policy, and economic interests of the United States as well as to the constitutional rights of the United States and United States sovereignty.”
  • The ATT “fails to expressly recognize the fundamental, individual right to keep and to bear arms and the individual right of personal self-defense, as well as the legitimacy of hunting, sports shooting, and other lawful activities pertaining to the private ownership of firearms and related materials, and thus risks infringing on freedoms protected by the Second Amendment.
  • The ATT “could hinder the United States from fulfilling its strategic, legal, and moral commitments to provide arms to allies such as (Taiwan) and the State of Israel.”
  • The ATT “risks imposing costly regulatory burdens on United States businesses, for example, by creating onerous reporting requirements that could damage the domestic defense manufacturing base and related firms.”

A complete copy of the resolution can be found by clicking here.

Groups supporting the resolution include the National Rifle Association, Heritage Action, and the Endowment for Middle East Truth.