Newark, NJ – U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement regarding the United States Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Bond.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that prosecutors cannot rely on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction or its implementing statute to convict a woman who attacked her husband’s mistress using toxic chemicals.
“During the recent hearings on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, some Senators stated that their willingness to ratify the Convention rested solely upon ensuring that there would be no effect on United States domestic law. Today’s decision in the Bond case removes any fears that the Convention could ever be used to expand federal authority beyond the limits of the Constitution, undermine state sovereignty, or allow lawsuits to be filed in U.S. courts.
“Ratification of the Disabilities Convention requires no change to, and places no obligation upon U.S. law, but would instead break down undue barriers for disabled Americans who study and travel abroad, expand markets for American businesses that sell accessible products, and showcase American leadership on disability rights.
“Based on today’s Supreme Court ruling, I intend to put the Disabilities Treaty up for a vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the near future, in the hopes that it will then be considered and passed by the full Senate.”
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