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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

50 State Call to Action: Ratify CRPD Now!

We have entered a key moment for ratification of the CRPD. The Senate has returned to work and will only be in session through September 23 at the latest. After an exhilarating July, in which a new resolution for ratification passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) with bipartisan support, and in which our collective voice was heard loudly through phone calls, social media, and a strong coalition presence on the Hill that included business, veterans, civil rights, and disability advocates, we must seize this moment.

CRPD Logo - Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesPlease see the new one-page summary of the resolution (PDF or plain text) that passed out of the SFRC and its amendments. These amendments address significant concerns that have been raised by opponents of the treaty and clear the way for ratification of the treaty. Bipartisan Senate supporters are now working to secure commitments from their colleagues for the final vote, and our community organizations must act now. Without action in September, achieving success this year becomes significantly more challenging as we face election season and a lame duck session of Congress.

Take Action

Visit www.disabilitytreaty.org and call your Senators! The message is simple: RATIFY CRPD!

Additional efforts are needed from advocates in the key states of Georgia (Chambliss & Isakson), Mississippi (Cochran & Wicker), South Carolina (Graham & Scott), North Carolina (Burr), Ohio (Portman), Missouri (Blunt), Kansas (Roberts) and Iowa (Grassley).

If you or your Board Members have personal reach to any of these key members, now is the time for you to make that call to the Senator, by-pass his staff if possible, and get a commitment that he will stand with the disability and veteran communities.

This is a crucial moment for us to join Bob Dole and our Senate champions to get this done. We cannot be silent. Thank you for your long support and your advocacy at this crucial moment!