US Lawmakers Weigh UN Treaty on Disabled-英语课

时间：2019-02-11 作者：英语课 分类：英语新闻

英语课

CAPITOL HILL — American lawmakers are pressing for U.S. ratification 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Many legislators see the pact 2 as a global extension of a landmark 3 federal law protecting disabled Americans at home.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill put aside partisan 4 politics Thursday, with senators from both parties voicing support for the convention. The U.N. measure was drafted in 2006 and has more than 150 signatory nations.
Republican Senator John McCain spoke 5 before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
"This landmark treaty requires countries around the world to affirm what are essentially 6 core American values of equality, justice, and dignity," said McCain.
The convention's guiding principles include non-discrimination against the disabled, the full participation 7 and inclusion of handicapped people in society, and the right of the disabled to make decisions for themselves.
Within the United States, many of these rights are set forth 8 in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law more than 20 years ago.
"My hope is that U.S. ratification will have a moral impact," said Democratic Senator Tom Harkin. "My hope is that it will send a signal to the rest of the world that it is not okay to leave a baby with Downs Syndrome 9 on the side of the road to die. It is not okay to warehouse 10 adults with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities in institutions chained to the bars of a cell when their only crime is having a disability. That it is not okay to refuse to educate children because they are blind or deaf or use a wheelchair."Ratification has the backing of the Obama administration. The State Department's special adviser 11 for international disability rights, Judith Heumann, says America's failure to ratify 12 the treaty thus far hampers 13 her ability to advocate for the disabled abroad, including handicapped Americans who travel overseas.
"It is, frankly 14, difficult to advance the interests of Americans with disabilities and others when we, as the United States, have not ratified 15 the convention," Heumann explained. "Failure to ratify deprives us of a crucial tool to secure concrete improvements, such as fewer architectural barriers and more accessible air travel."But not all lawmakers back ratification. Republican Senator Jim DeMint argued there is no need for the United States to bind 16 itself to a global pact or submit to international scrutiny 17 of America's treatment of disabled people. He also expressed concern that the convention's stated goal of furthering reproductive rights and health will promote abortion 18.
No date has been set for a Senate vote, but backers hope the convention will be ratified in coming weeks.

1 ratification

n.批准，认可

The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

2 pact

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

3 landmark

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

4 partisan

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

5 spoke

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说