The opposition assumes we are out of steam and almost out of time because of the mid-term election cycle. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee thinks we have an unlimited amount of patience and don't need a sign, any sign, that conversations are still going on between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans have not voiced a chorus of "there is no way I can support ratification", but no one on the Republican side has stepped up to lead the Republicans back to the negotiation table.
We have taken a lot on the chin and on faith in the last 10 weeks. If Senators want us to get all charged up and set our hair on fire, we need at least:
1. A meeting or conference call with Senator Menendez to get a clear picture of where things stand and how we can help.
2. A tentative date for a mark up of a CRPD resolution in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee so we know what we have and continue to work for will make it to the next rung on the ladder.
3. Some concrete indication that those in the Senate, who support the CRPD, will help us in our outreach to find more Senators to get a 67 or better affirmative vote count on the Senate floor.
Securing the ratification of the CRPD is not our job alone now. It's everyone's job if we believe in the principles on which the Constitution was based and the need to restore U.S. standing as a leader on human rights and a champion of freedom.
Thank you.
Common Grounder
