Harkin promises to keep up fight for disability rights treaty

CEDAR RAPIDS - Sen. Tom Harkin, who is retiring in January, is promising not to let opponents of an international treaty on disability rights run out the clock on him.

He'll keep fighting, Harkin vowed Thursday.

Harkin's effort to win Senate ratification of the Convention on the Right of People with Disabilities suffered a setback earlier this week when one senator objected to debating the international agreement. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said two hours was not enough time to debate the treaty that has been ratified by more than 150 countries and he wanted to be able to offer amendments.

'But it's not the end,” said Harkin, who called it 'another sad, irresponsible day in the United States Senate” after Lee blocked action.

The Iowa Democrat, who has made ratification part of his must-do list before the end of his fifth term, vowed to continue the fight.

'We're going to be here in a lame duck session,” he said during a conference call with reporters Thursday. 'We'll see if there's another possibility there.

His efforts won't end there.

'Even after I leave the Senate, I will continue to fight for it because people with disabilities continue to face challenges here and abroad,” Harkin said.

He chalked up Lee's opposition to Tea Party extremism that is not reflective of the Republican Party. Harkin has the support of a number of Republicans, including Sens. John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, Mark Kirk and John Barrasso, as well as former Sen. Bob Dole.

He called Lee's objection on procedural grounds a 'smoke-screen” to his opposition to the pact. Lee didn't object to the same request for unanimous consent and two hours of debate two years ago, Harkin said.

'I don't care if he votes against it. I understand that,” he said. 'But he wouldn't even let it come up for debate.”

Earlier Thursday, Harkin chaired a Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee hearing on poverty among disabled Americans earlier in the day.

'I started my career in the Senate by chairing a hearing on disability policy and this may be my last chairing today and I closed it out by having yet another hearing on disability policy,” said Harkin, an author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, on which the treaty is based.

His staff, Harkin said, is making steady progress in archiving materials from his 40-year congressional career. His materials will be transferred to the Harkin Institute at Drake University.

Later this year, Harkin will unveil a website documenting the legislative highlights of his career.

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