Santorum tweets on defeat of UN disabilities treaty: ‘We did it’

{mosads}The Senate voted 61-38 in favor of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), five votes short of the two-thirds needed for ratification. Santorum led the charge against the treaty, along with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), arguing that it could allow the U.N. to impose its will on issues such as abortion and home-schooling of children with disabilities.

Democrats and advocates for people with disabilities called those claims nonsense.

“By refusing to ratify this treaty, Republicans are abandoning America’s longstanding leadership in support of our citizens, servicemembers, and veterans with disabilities who travel, study, do business, or live abroad,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement urging a continued push in favor of ratification.

Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine), Dick Lugar (Ind.), John McCain (Ariz.), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted with Democrats in favor of the treaty.