Contact: Jennifer Mason, Personhood USA, 202-595-3500

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Personhood USA applauds the Senate's refusal to expand abortion provisions through ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The treaty does not protect persons with disabilities in the womb and would put American laws under United Nations control.

The Senate failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to ratify the treaty, after a 61-38 vote Tuesday. Personhood USA opposed the ratification of the treaty earlier this week. www.personhoodusa.com/personhood-usa-opposes-ratification-un-convention-persons-disabilities

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said, "Trying to turn this into an abortion debate is bad politics and just wrong." Yet Article 25 of the treaty requires "sexual and reproductive health and population-based public health programmes," which was acknowledged by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to include "access to abortion." McCain recently called on the Republican party to "drop" the issue of abortion. www.personhoodusa.com/blog/john-mccain-urges-gop-drop-abortion-issue-instead-gop-needs-drop-john-mccain

McCain also asserted that the treaty is non-binding and would have no effect on American laws. At a United Nations meeting celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Monday, Mr. Vladimir Cuk emphasized the convention's role in overturning national laws: "We want clear recognition of the CRPD as a superseding instrument."

"Dishonesty about this treaty's ability to reinforce abortion in the United States is unacceptable," said Josh Craddock, international representative for Personhood USA. "Senator McCain's remarks are incorrect and incompatible with the goal of protecting persons with disabilities. Personhood must include all human beings, regardless of the state of their physical or mental development. That includes the unborn as well as the disabled."

"If Congress really cares about persons with disabilities, they shouldn't encourage practices that systematically exterminate the disabled," he added. "Abortion targets the disabled in the womb. About 90% of unborn children diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted. That mentality teaches the public that life with disability is not worth living. It has no place in a treaty designed to protect the disabled."

Personhood USA thanks the 38 Senators who opposed ratification and encourages them to remain steadfast in their convictions. Any treaty that undermines personhood for all unborn children and especially risks the lives of unborn children with disabilities is unacceptable to Personhood USA. The Senate is expected to reconsider the convention in January.