DeMint: Law of the Sea Treaty now dead

The Washington Tines ^ | July 16, 2012 | By Kristina Wong and Sean Lengell

[yoe]

The United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty now has 34 senators opposed to it and thus lacks the Senate votes needed for U.S. ratification, a key opponent of the treaty announced Monday.

But the treaty’s main Senate proponent denies the treaty is sunk, saying plenty of time still exists to win support before a planned late-year vote.

The Law of the Sea Treaty, which entered into force in 1994 and has been signed and ratified by 162 countries, establishes international laws governing the maritime rights of countries. The treaty has been signed but not ratified by the U.S., which would require two-thirds approval of the Senate.

Critics of the treaty argue that it would subject U.S. sovereignty to an international body, require American businesses to pay royalties for resource exploitation and subject the U.S. to unwieldy environmental regulations as defined.

[yoe]

What is in this treaty for John Kerry that makes him so disrespectful of United States Sovereignty....the same thing that made him lie to the US Congress so many years ago?

[SoConPubbie]

Any doubt in anyone’s mind that if Mitt Romney were president and was supporting this monster of a law that the number of Senators opposing this would be dramatically lower?

[Joe 6-pack]

These things are never “dead.” It may be on hold for now, but it most assuredly, is not “dead.”

[556x45]

Exactly. ORomney is our despot which makes it OK.

[556x45]

Thats right. Treaties have no time limit and can easily come up for consideration much much later.

[JudgemAll]

Sometimes these statements seem like shaped to make it dead so as to reshape another “better worded” and worse piece of legislation next.

Sounds like another sarcastic joke, indeed.

The Treaty is dead but Obama can do whatever he wants... or Justice Julia Robert in the Supreme Court can play too... ah, that’s the psyOps loophole for you.

[JudgemAll]

We have the European Union bug... too big too fail etc...

So big it will fail, is the reality. When people and governments think they can be everything and too much of anything at one time and then excusing the incompetence... this is unacceptable thuggery and hypocrisy.

[dfwgator]

LOST is like Jason in Friday the 13th, you think he’s dead for good, but there’s always another sequel.

[cripplecreek]

It won’t be truly dead till the USA walks away from the UN and it collapses.

[NonValueAdded]

Until it is actually voted down, it is merely dormant. Beware the lame ducks.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Damn! Obama should just ratify it with an executive order!!!

[DoughtyOne]

At any given time, hundreds of U.S. flag ships and ships owned by U.S. companies rely on the freedom of navigation rights codified in the treaty while crossing the world’s oceans, said chamber President and Chief Executive Thomas J. Donohue, testifying last month before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. While we can always rely on the U.S. Navy to ensure lawful passage of U.S.-flagged and owned ships, it only makes sense to join with the international community in establishing and protecting lawful passage on the high seas.

The absurdity of this logic is massive.

What this numb-nut just said, is that we need a new level of bureaucracy before we can be safe on the high seas. Hmmmmm, we had no safety before 1994? Really?

So now we really need permission from the U. N. to conduct any activity on the high seas? That's a good thing, something to be desired?

Why not require permission before you can get in the bath-tub sir? Don't you want to be safe there too?

[KarlInOhio]

34 isn't nearly enough. If a couple Republicans leave town, the Dems and RINOs only require 2/3 of the senators present to vote for it. 66-32 passes it even if 66-34 could stop it.

[RetiredArmy]

Critics of the treaty argue that it would subject U.S. sovereignty to an international body

Well, gee whiz, this is what Obama and his buddies at the UN and One World Government groups are wanting for the USA anyway and Obama is doing his dead level best to accomplish it.

[DoughtyOne]

Frankly..., I don’t even want to think about it.

McCain voiced support for it at one point, couching it with some malarkey about protections or some such. Never-mind that those protections could be eliminated at any time the U. N. wanted to.

He also wanted us to sign on the the I. C. C. He voiced the same comments about protections here too.

With Romney or McCain in there, we will have the same train wrecks that only a few more people will survive since Obama won’t be in there.

This next four years is going to be very ugly.

[izzatzo]

With all due respect, Sen. Demint(I love ya, man.), DEAD, my a$$. How many times has this thing come up? The ‘rats will keep bringing it up until it passes, count on it.

[swpa_mom]

I’m often amazed at the regular posters here on Free Republic. I don’t claim to be one of them. But, without hesitation, any thread even mentioning Romney brings out the “I won’t vote for Romney because he’s just like Obama” crowd.

Conservatives are, by nature, far more informed and simply far more rational than liberals. In that regard, conservatives realize how presidential elections work. It comes down to two choices. Yes, I remember the Perot fiasco and the accompanying result. Point made. When liberals are cornered and asked to defend Obama, their answer is USUALLY.......”he’s the same as Romney”. That’s also what I see here.

I really don’t get it. The election of 2008 with John McCain as the nominee caused many conservatives to refuse to vote for him, he is a rino, even with Sarah Palin as his VP choice. The mantra at the time WAS........this will teach the party a lesson and the GOP will surely nominate a ‘true’ conservative (whoever that is). We have a primary contest, at least on this website, anyone supporting ANY of the candidates was attacked,claiming that their nominee surely wasn’t conservative enough, but there weren’t any solutions or candidates offered, just constant criticism of the candidate.

It’s soon to be crunch time. IF you live in a state where the electoral vote matters and you not only write in Donald Duck or something ridiculous in the presidential line, well, then you have zero room to complain about anything. Anything. If you live in Berkely, by all means, go for it.

Who’s your perfect candidate for 2016? Are you on the committee to nominate him or her?

I don’t know, I realize that some of you have to be sincere in your ‘in absentia’ backing of Obama, you DO understand the electoral process. Some coservatives think that the country going further downhill will send some sort of “message” to the GOP ( I heard the same thing in 2008 ).

Conservatives need places to ‘gather’ on the net. I really hoped and thought this would be a good place where rational people could clearly see the need to defeat Obama. But.......it seems that every single blessed thread.........the same “I won’t vote for Romney” stuff comes out.

You won’t vote for Romney. Gotcha. Please don’t insult the intelligence of those who *DO* understand the electoral process by claiming that your non-vote isn’t a plus vote for Obama. It is.

I really don’t understand it. I care about my child. I am worried for my child’s future under this regime. Obama would have FOUR YEARS of a lame duck presidency with absolutely no accountibility to anyone.........yeah, that will teach the GOP a lesson.

Now, I have to go to work because Obama’s economy simply stinks. WE are simply a family trying to survive.

[GBA]

The United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty now has 34 senators opposed to it

Only 34? That's enough, but the entire freaking Senate should be opposed to it on Constitutional grounds alone.

We have a lot of work to do.

[GBA]

I really don’t get it. The election of 2008 with John McCain as the nominee caused many conservatives to refuse to vote for him, he is a rino, even with Sarah Palin as his VP choice.

I really don't get it either. John McCain was pushing for us to sign on to this monstrosity.

[commish]

It’s not dead, it’s pining for the fjords!