[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 130 (Friday, September 27, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H5896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    UNITED NATIONS ARMS TRADE TREATY

  (Mr. BENISHEK asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the United 
Nations Arms Trade Treaty. Secretary of State John Kerry signed this 
treaty on behalf of the Obama administration this past Wednesday.
  While I support keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of 
international terrorists and bad actors, I believe that this treaty 
represents a significant threat to our Second Amendment rights.
  The State Department itself has acknowledged that this treaty is 
``ambiguous'' and that any potential obligations imposed by the treaty 
are difficult to predict. In addition, once ratified, it will be 
possible to amend this treaty with the support of just 75 percent of 
the signing members, potentially locking the United States into more 
restrictions down the road.
  Like many people from my district, I grew up around firearms, and I'm 
a life-long gun owner. The responsible use of guns for sport and 
hunting is a way of life in northern Michigan, and I do not want to see 
this way of life or our Second Amendment rights be threatened by a 
poorly thought out United Nations agreement.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to oppose this treaty and join me 
in standing up for the millions of law-abiding gun owners in America.

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