U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) called on members of the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday to prohibit federal funding that supports the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in appropriations bills.
Under ATT, countries regulate the international trade of conventional weapons and ammunition, ranging from small arms to tanks.
Kelly requested that federal funding for ATT be prohibited in fiscal year 2017 appropriations bills in letters to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee.
“The power of the purse is a critical weapon in our fight to stop the ATT from ever being implemented,” Kelly said. “The sovereignty of our country and the rights of our people are far too precious to be left vulnerable to this dangerous treaty. Especially with this president’s appetite for unilateral, unconstitutional action overwhelmingly apparent, our vigilance matters more than ever.”
ATT forces the United States onto equal footing with the world’s worst dictatorships and terror sponsors, Kelly said.
“It can be easily politicized by bad actors to try to stop America from providing arms to our friends and allies, including Israel,” Kelly said. “Ominously, the treaty excludes any specific protection for the fundamental right of individuals to keep and bear arms, which opens the door to domestic gun control impositions.”
More than 100 members of Congress signed Kelly’s letter. The chairmen of six committees, including U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, were among the signees.