Lummis Expresses Concerns With U.N. Arms Trade Treaty

Press Release

U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo) joined 129 members of the House of Representatives in a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the Administration's decision to join negotiations for a new U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The letter urged the Administration to reject any proposal that infringes on Americans' constitutional rights, including the fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms. The letter also raised concerns about the treaty's impact on United States' sovereignty, urging the President not to submit the United States to supranational bureaucracies or tribunals that are not accountable to the American people.

"The UN has terrible track record on Second Amendment freedom and this new treaty is yet another opportunity for international gun control advocates," Rep. Lummis said. "Since President Obama decided to join these negotiations, he should draw a line in the sand when it comes to Second Amendment rights and American sovereignty. The American people cannot rely on international bureaucrats and tribunals to enforce their God-given rights under the Constitution."

The United Nations is currently in negotiations in New York concerning the Arms Trade Treaty. The U.N. has been working towards a treaty of this kind since 2006. If the negotiations produce an international treaty and President Obama agrees to sign it, the treaty would then go to the U.S. Senate for ratification, which requires a 2/3's majority vote of approval.

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