Senator Coons voiced his strong support Thursday for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2006 with 153 signatories and 116 ratifying parties, which does not include the United States. The convention was the focus of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday. Chris chaired part of the hearing.
“The American people expect Congress to protect the fundamental rights of all people,” Chris said. “The United States can and should demonstrate global leadership by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We’ve long been a leader on protecting rights for disabled persons, as demonstrated by the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which passed twenty-two years ago.”
Thursday’s hearing featured testimony from an array of witnesses, including U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). The second panel featured leaders from the departments of State and Justice. The third panel featured former Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, former Justice Department official John Wodatch, the Heritage Foundation’s Steven Groves, Chancellor of Patrick Henry College Dr. Michael Farris, and retired Marine lieutenant John Lancaster, formerly of the National Council On Independent Living.