NEW CASTLE —
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly is asking district residents to help him stop the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.
Kelly held press conferences in the Third District Friday, including one at Duke’s Sport Shop in Shenango Township, to express his opposition to the proposed treaty, saying it would infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
The proposed treaty is aimed at regulating the global arms trade business. Supporters say it would have no impact on gun rights.
Last year, Kelly sent a letter, signed by 130 House members, to the president and secretary of state opposing the treaty. He authored a resolution opposing the treaty in November with 89 bipartisan co-sponsors. He plans to re-introduce House Resolution 814 as a concurrent resolution within the next week. Kelly, a Republican, said he has 112 bipartisan cosponsors.
He said Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran is sponsoring a similar measure in the Senate.
Kelly said citizens can go to attpetition.com to voice their opinion. The petition urges President Obama to reject the treaty.
“I’m standing here as a guy to let you know that we want you to weigh in on this,” Kelly said.
People have about 30 days to express their opinion before the United Nations considers the treaty, he said.
The U.S. Senate would need 67 senators for ratification of the treaty.
“We need 34 senators to sign on,” Kelly said to block U.S. support of the treaty.
“We want this to be a clarion call for the president and the Senate.”
Besides infringing on individual rights to bear arms, Kelly said, the treaty was crafted in a process that had dictatorships and terrorist sponsors such as Syria and Iran at the table.
He added it would limit the ability of the United States “to supply our friends and allies with arms.”
(Email: jmanna@ncnewsonline.com)
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Kelly seeks citizen help on treaty
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