Rodney Davis on Homeland Security

Sponsored opposing the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

Congressional Summary:Expressing the conditions for the US becoming a signatory to the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

• WHEREAS the ATT poses significant risks to the national security, foreign policy, and economic interests of the US as well as to the constitutional rights of US citizens and US sovereignty;
• WHEREAS the ATT fails to expressly recognize the fundamental, individual right to keep and to bear arms;
• WHEREAS the ATT places free democracies and totalitarian regimes on a basis of equality, recognizing their equal right to transfer arms, and is thereby dangerous to the security of the US;
• WHEREAS the ATT will create opportunities to engage in 'lawfare' against the US via the misuse of the treaty's tribunals;
• WHEREAS the ATT could hinder the US from fulfilling its strategic and moral commitments to provide arms to allies such as Taiwan & Israel;
• Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED that--

1. the President should not sign the Arms Trade Treaty, and that the Senate should not ratify the ATT; and
2. that no Federal funds should be authorized to implement the ATT.

Opponent's argument against bill:(United Nations press release, June 3, 2013):

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon str

Respect sequestration on defense budget without gimmicks.

HR 1735 authorizes appropriations and sets forth policies regarding military construction for all military branches. This bill also authorizes appropriations for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), which are exempt from discretionary spending limits, in the amount of $89.2 billion. Other spending authorized:

• $16 billion: Total Aircraft Procurement, Navy
• $16 billion: Total Shipbuilding & Conversion, Navy
• $16 billion: Total Aircraft Procurement, Air Force
• $19 billion: Total Major Equipment Air Force
• $107 billion: Total Procurement
• $70 billion: Total Research, Development, Test & Eval
• $138 billion: Total Operation & Maintenance

Legislative outcome: NDAA passed House 270-156-8 Oct. 1; passed Senate 70-27-3 Oct. 7; vetoed with no override, Oct. 22.