[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 133 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 133

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the primary safeguard for the 
well-being and protection of children is the family, and that, because 
    the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child could 
 undermine the rights of the family, the President should not sign and 
                       transmit it to the Senate.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                June 14 (legislative day, June 5), 1995

Mr. Helms (for himself, Mr. Lott, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. Coats, 
Mr. Craig, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Faircloth, Mr. Frist, Mr. Gramm, Mr. Grams, 
 Mr. Hatch, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Nickles, 
  Mr. Santorum, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Thurmond) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the primary safeguard for the 
well-being and protection of children is the family, and that, because 
    the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child could 
 undermine the rights of the family, the President should not sign and 
                       transmit it to the Senate.
Whereas the Senate affirms the commitment of the United States to work with 
        other nations to enhance the protection of children, the advancement of 
        education, the eradication of disease, and the protection of human 
        rights;
Whereas the Constitution and laws of the United States are the best guarantees 
        against mistreatment of children in our country;
Whereas the laws and traditions of the United States affirm the right of parents 
        to raise their children and to transmit to them their values and 
        religious beliefs;
Whereas the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, if ratified, 
        would become the supreme law of the land, taking precedence over State 
        and Federal laws regarding family life;
Whereas that Convention establishes a ``universal standard'' which must be met 
        by all parties to the Convention, thereby inhibiting the rights of the 
        States and the Federal Government to enact child protection and support 
        laws inconsistent with that standard; and
Whereas the Convention's intrusion into national sovereignty was manifested by 
        the Convention's 1995 committee report faulting the United Kingdom for 
        permitting parents to make decisions for their children without 
        consulting those children: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the 
        Child is incompatible with the God-given right and 
        responsibility of parents to raise their children;
            (2) the Convention has the potential to severely restrict 
        States and the Federal Government in their efforts to protect 
        children and to enhance family life;
            (3) the United States Constitution is the ultimate 
        guarantor of rights and privileges to every American, including 
        children; and
            (4) the President should not sign and transmit to the 
        Senate that fundamentally flawed Convention.
                                 <all>