itshappening
03-24-2010, 07:51 AM
I predict that in November when the Democrats sustain heavy losses, there will be an opportunity to revive the American Sovereignty Restoration Act which calls for de-funding and the US leaving the U.N
We need to think long term and pin down John Boehner to promise us to make it a legislative priority to bring it to the floor. Delay sold Republicans out on this last time, we must NOT let them get away with it this time!
Comments and ideas to promote this are welcomed, maybe even CFL can setup a website and lead the charge. Ron Paul people can be powerful 'lobbyists' when we come together as we have shown with passing the audit of the Fed despite the huge Democratic majority, imagine what we can do if there were more potentially and supposedly friendly Republicans
Here is the wiki entry on the bill:
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The American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2009 (ASRA) is U.S. House of Representatives bill 1146 (H.R. 1146) of the first session of the 111th Congress, "to end membership of the United States in the United Nations" (U.N.). The bill was first introduced on March 20, 1997, as H.R. 1146, to the first session of the 105th Congress (the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 1997); it was a legislative effort to remove the U.S. from the UN.[165] Paul reintroduced the bill on February 24, 2009[166]
History
The bill was authored by Ron Paul to effect U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations. It would repeal various laws pertaining to the U.N., terminate authorization for funds to be spent on the U.N., terminate U.N. presence on U.S. property, and withdraw diplomatic immunity for U.N. employees.[167] It would provide up to two years for the U.S. to withdraw.[168] The Yale Law Journal cited the Act as proof that "the United States’s complaints against the United Nations have intensified."[169]
In a letter to Majority Leader Tom DeLay of April 16, 2003,[170] and in a speech to Congress on April 29, Paul requested the repeatedly-bottlenecked issue be voted on, because "Americans deserve to know how their representatives stand on the critical issue of American sovereignty."[171] Though he did not foresee passage in the near future, Paul believed a vote would be good for "those who don't want to get out of the United Nations but want to tone down" support; cosponsor Roscoe Bartlett's spokeswoman similarly said Bartlett "would welcome any action that would begin the debate".[170]
It had 54 supporters in the House in its first year.[165] It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and was never released for a vote.
Discussion
National Review cited the ASRA as an example of grassroots effort "to educate the American people about the efforts of foreign tyrants to disarm them".[172] Supporters approved of its intent to end financial ties to the UN, its peace-keeping missions, and its building in New York City.[173] A report by Herbert W. Titus, Senior Legal Advisor of the Liberty Committee, concluded that "the American Sovereignty Restoration Act is the only viable solution to the continued abuses of the United Nations."[174]
On its front page, the Victoria, Texas, Advocate, a newspaper in Paul's district, expressed pride for the Act in the face of what it called several undeclared "United Nations wars".[175]
Henry Lamb considers it "the only way to be sure that the U.S. will win the showdown at the U.N. Corral", considering that without withdrawal, U.N. claims of diplomatic immunity and Congressional subpoena power threaten each other, as in the oil-for-food scandal.[168]
Critics say it "undoubtedly paints a bull's-eye across the entire country".[176] Tim Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, finds the bill contrary to United States interests: "This piece of legislation has been brought by Ron Paul every year over the last 20 [sic] years and it never goes anywhere."[170]
A policy review of U.S.–Canada relations describes the Act as reflecting "extreme views," but indicative of a majority pro-sovereignty view in Congress, expressed in tighter border and immigration policy, unilateralism in foreign policy, and increased national security focus.[177]
Related activity
Similar U.S. legislation includes Ron Paul's proposal to end U.S. contributions to the United Nations and affiliated agencies, which had Republican support but failed as an appropriations amendment by a vote of 74http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQX7WMrA_fY350;[178] and Roscoe Bartlett's proposal to cut a $100 million payment to the U.N., based on General Accounting Office claims that the U.S. has overpaid by $3.5 billion (the UN claimed that it was owed $1.3 billion).[179]
The 2002 Republican Party of Texas platform explicitly urged passage of the ASRA; withdrawal from the U.N. had been on the platform at least since 1998.[180]
Both houses of the Arizona legislature introduced legislation petitioning Congress to pass the ASRA (HCM 2009 in 2004, SCM 1002 in 2006);[181][182] in 2007 similar legislation passed the Arizona Senate (SCM 1002 in 2007), but with the focus changed from the ASRA to Virgil Goode's Congressional resolution not to engage in a NAFTA Superhighway or a North American Union (H.Con.Res. 487, now H.Con.Res. 40).[183][184]
Advocacy
The John Birch Society recognizes the ASRA as a reflection of its efforts since 1962 toward U.S. withdrawal.[165] Their publication New American sees Nathan Tabor's anti-U.N. book, The Beast on the East River, as a building block toward ASRA passage,[185] which it advocates because "the U.S. military is currently being used as the enforcement arm of the United Nations."[186]
In 2000, Tom DeWeese's American Policy Center said it delivered to Congress more than 300,000 signatures from petitions in support of the Act.[187]
An organization calling itself the Liberty Committee also organized a nationwide petition drive asking Majority Leader Tom DeLay to schedule the bill for a vote.
We need to think long term and pin down John Boehner to promise us to make it a legislative priority to bring it to the floor. Delay sold Republicans out on this last time, we must NOT let them get away with it this time!
Comments and ideas to promote this are welcomed, maybe even CFL can setup a website and lead the charge. Ron Paul people can be powerful 'lobbyists' when we come together as we have shown with passing the audit of the Fed despite the huge Democratic majority, imagine what we can do if there were more potentially and supposedly friendly Republicans
Here is the wiki entry on the bill:
-
The American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2009 (ASRA) is U.S. House of Representatives bill 1146 (H.R. 1146) of the first session of the 111th Congress, "to end membership of the United States in the United Nations" (U.N.). The bill was first introduced on March 20, 1997, as H.R. 1146, to the first session of the 105th Congress (the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 1997); it was a legislative effort to remove the U.S. from the UN.[165] Paul reintroduced the bill on February 24, 2009[166]
History
The bill was authored by Ron Paul to effect U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations. It would repeal various laws pertaining to the U.N., terminate authorization for funds to be spent on the U.N., terminate U.N. presence on U.S. property, and withdraw diplomatic immunity for U.N. employees.[167] It would provide up to two years for the U.S. to withdraw.[168] The Yale Law Journal cited the Act as proof that "the United States’s complaints against the United Nations have intensified."[169]
In a letter to Majority Leader Tom DeLay of April 16, 2003,[170] and in a speech to Congress on April 29, Paul requested the repeatedly-bottlenecked issue be voted on, because "Americans deserve to know how their representatives stand on the critical issue of American sovereignty."[171] Though he did not foresee passage in the near future, Paul believed a vote would be good for "those who don't want to get out of the United Nations but want to tone down" support; cosponsor Roscoe Bartlett's spokeswoman similarly said Bartlett "would welcome any action that would begin the debate".[170]
It had 54 supporters in the House in its first year.[165] It was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and was never released for a vote.
Discussion
National Review cited the ASRA as an example of grassroots effort "to educate the American people about the efforts of foreign tyrants to disarm them".[172] Supporters approved of its intent to end financial ties to the UN, its peace-keeping missions, and its building in New York City.[173] A report by Herbert W. Titus, Senior Legal Advisor of the Liberty Committee, concluded that "the American Sovereignty Restoration Act is the only viable solution to the continued abuses of the United Nations."[174]
On its front page, the Victoria, Texas, Advocate, a newspaper in Paul's district, expressed pride for the Act in the face of what it called several undeclared "United Nations wars".[175]
Henry Lamb considers it "the only way to be sure that the U.S. will win the showdown at the U.N. Corral", considering that without withdrawal, U.N. claims of diplomatic immunity and Congressional subpoena power threaten each other, as in the oil-for-food scandal.[168]
Critics say it "undoubtedly paints a bull's-eye across the entire country".[176] Tim Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, finds the bill contrary to United States interests: "This piece of legislation has been brought by Ron Paul every year over the last 20 [sic] years and it never goes anywhere."[170]
A policy review of U.S.–Canada relations describes the Act as reflecting "extreme views," but indicative of a majority pro-sovereignty view in Congress, expressed in tighter border and immigration policy, unilateralism in foreign policy, and increased national security focus.[177]
Related activity
Similar U.S. legislation includes Ron Paul's proposal to end U.S. contributions to the United Nations and affiliated agencies, which had Republican support but failed as an appropriations amendment by a vote of 74http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQX7WMrA_fY350;[178] and Roscoe Bartlett's proposal to cut a $100 million payment to the U.N., based on General Accounting Office claims that the U.S. has overpaid by $3.5 billion (the UN claimed that it was owed $1.3 billion).[179]
The 2002 Republican Party of Texas platform explicitly urged passage of the ASRA; withdrawal from the U.N. had been on the platform at least since 1998.[180]
Both houses of the Arizona legislature introduced legislation petitioning Congress to pass the ASRA (HCM 2009 in 2004, SCM 1002 in 2006);[181][182] in 2007 similar legislation passed the Arizona Senate (SCM 1002 in 2007), but with the focus changed from the ASRA to Virgil Goode's Congressional resolution not to engage in a NAFTA Superhighway or a North American Union (H.Con.Res. 487, now H.Con.Res. 40).[183][184]
Advocacy
The John Birch Society recognizes the ASRA as a reflection of its efforts since 1962 toward U.S. withdrawal.[165] Their publication New American sees Nathan Tabor's anti-U.N. book, The Beast on the East River, as a building block toward ASRA passage,[185] which it advocates because "the U.S. military is currently being used as the enforcement arm of the United Nations."[186]
In 2000, Tom DeWeese's American Policy Center said it delivered to Congress more than 300,000 signatures from petitions in support of the Act.[187]
An organization calling itself the Liberty Committee also organized a nationwide petition drive asking Majority Leader Tom DeLay to schedule the bill for a vote.