Secretary of State John Kerry says that the U.S. will sign a controversial United Nations treaty on arms control in spite of bipartisan opposition from lawmakers.
Kerry released a written statement on Monday saying the U.S. “welcomes” the next phase for the treaty, which the U.N. General Assembly approved on April 2 but which gun rights advocates on Capitol Hill fear could lead to new gun control measures domestically, reports Fox News.
“We look forward to signing it as soon as the process of conforming the official translations is completed satisfactorily,” Kerry said, adding that the treaty is “an important contribution to efforts to stem the illicit trade in conventional weapons, which fuels conflict, empowers violent extremists, and contributes to violations of human rights.”
…Supporters of gun rights have warned that it could be used as the basis for more gun control measures in the U.S.
Last week, 130 members of Congress signed a letter to President Barack Obama and Kerry calling on them to reject the measure.
Unfortunately for Barack Obama, he’s President, not king. That means he can sign this treaty if he likes, but 2/3 of the Senate would have to approve it to be ratified and that’s not going to happen. So, he can sign the UN treaty, wag his finger and shake his impotent little fist, but it’s not going to be taking effect. The 2nd Amendment was here before Barack Obama came along and it will still be around after he’s gone.