WKSU News: Portman may change his vote on disabilities treaty -- next year

Thursday, December 6, 2012 Portman may change his vote on disabilities treaty -- next year Ohio senator says his main issue was timing, not content by WKSU's M.L. SCHULTZE	Web Editor M.L. Schultze

Ohio's U.S. Sen. Rob Portman says the vote against the disabilities treaty was largely timing, not content.

In The Region:

Ohio’s Republican Sen. Rob Portman says his vote to reject a United Nations treaty on the rights of disabled people was based more on timing than on the content of the treaty itself.

Some of the 38 Republicans who voted against the treaty said it gave the U.N. too much power or raised the specter that it could impact home schooling. Proponents called that baseless.

In a conference call yesterday (Thursday), Portman said he signed a letter in October that pushed for any treaty votes to be delayed until the new Congress that takes office in January. He says he may reconsider the bill itself.

PORTMAN says he'll reconsider next year

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“I would want to see some slight changes and then I would consider it. … as would a number of my other Republican colleagues who signed the letter as I did based on the fact that we believe that the Congress that duly elected ought to be making these decisions and not slipping it into a lame-duck session.”

The treaty needed a two-thirds majority to be ratified. It got 61 votes after former Senate Republican Majority Leader Bob Dole made a special plea for it.

Listener Comments:

Senator Portman – you have lost my vote and the vote of everyone who witnesses another gridlocked Congress who would rather engage in power struggles than deal with critical issues facing this country. If you can’t support CRPD, then how can I trust you with bills such as education, rehabilitation and health.

Posted by: Margaretha Izzo (Columbus, Ohio) on December 14, 2012 7:12AM

Portman is still afraid of the Tea Party. I thought on this issue that he would vote what he knows is right but instead he comes up with the stupidest of reasons to vote it down. Now he might change his mind when faced with the backlash. What a jerk.

Posted by: Ken Kramer (Cincinnati, OH) on December 10, 2012 3:12AM

Senator Portman's vote to reject the treaty and Bob Dole's pleas to vote for it,will be on my mind when Portman's reelection comes up. Then I can vote and reject Portman. I like Bob Dole.

Posted by: Michael Motil (United States) on December 9, 2012 1:12AM

Really? That's the best he could do? What a crock.

Posted by: rayy (akron) on December 7, 2012 6:12AM

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