Senate votes re U.N. Small Arms Treaty

Over the weekend, In a 53-46 vote, The senate narrowly passed a measure that will stop the United States from entering into the United Nations  Small Arms Trade Treaty. The Statement of Purpose from the bill read:

"To uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States

From entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty." 

Although the treaty is  vague at points and has been subject to various interpretations, those who voted for the ban on theThe U.N. Small Arms Treaty, which has been championed by the Obama Administration, argued that it  would have effectively placed a global ban on the Import and export of small firearms. The ban could have affected all private, law-abiding gun owners in the U.S. - and had language that could have implemented an international gun registry on all private guns and ammo.  Obama apparently will sign the treaty anyway, at least as a symbolic gesture.



Here are the 46 senators that voted against the bill to preclude the UN treaty.

Baldwin (D-WI)

Baucus (D-MT)

Bennet (D-CO)

Blumenthal (D-CT)

Boxer (D-CA)

Brown (D-OH)

Cantwell (D-WA)

Cardin (D-MD)

Carper (D-DE)

Casey (D-PA)

Coons (D-DE)

Cowan (D-MA)

Durbin (D-IL)

Feinstein (D-CA)

Franken (D-MN)

Gillibrand (D-NY) *Harkin (D-IA)

Hirono (D-HI)

Johnson (D-SD)

Kaine (D-VA)

King (I-ME)

Klobuchar (D-MN)

Landrieu (D-LA)

Leahy (D-VT)

Levin (D-MI)

McCaskill (D-MO)

Menendez (D-NJ)

Merkley (D-OR)

Mikulski (D-MD)

Murphy (D-CT)

Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Reed (D-RI)

Reid (D-NV)

Rockefeller (D-WV)

Sanders (I-VT)

Schatz (D-HI)

Schumer (D-NY)

Shaheen (D-NH)

Stabenow (D-MI)

Udall (D-CO)

Udall (D-NM)

Warner (D-VA)

Warren (D-MA)

Whitehouse (D-RI)

Wyden (D-OR)

Note that all who voted against the bill to preclude the treaty were Dems or Independents.  If the recent Senate debate on gun control didn't make it clear, it appears that the Dems are the party of gun control, in spite of all the rhetoric about supporting Second Amendment rights.  Many expect that the Dems will pay for their push on gun control in the next Congressional elections.

Thanks to John Newsome for the lead.