American Sovereignty Restoration Act

The American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2007 (ASRA) is U.S. House of Representatives bill 1146 (USBill|110|HR|1146) of the first session of the 110th Congress, "to end membership of the United States in the United Nations" (UN). The bill was first introduced on March 20 1997, as USBill|105|HR|1146, to the first session of the 105th Congress (the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 1997); it remains the first legislative effort to remove the U.S. from the UN.

History

The bill was authored by U.S. Representative Ron Paul, Republican of the 14th district of Texas, to effect U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations. It would repeal various laws pertaining to the UN, terminate authorization for funds to be spent on the UN, terminate UN presence on U.S. property, and withdraw diplomatic immunity for UN employees. [cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1224953761.html|title=Rep. Paul Introduces American Sovereignty Restoration Act|date=1997-03-01|accessdate=2008-04-10|publisher=US Fed News Service|format=subscription] It would provide up to two years for the U.S. to withdraw. The "Yale Law Journal" cited the Act as proof that "the United States’s complaints against the United Nations have intensified." [cite journal|url=http://yalelawjournal.org/images/pdfs/216.pdf|title=Law's Migration: American Exceptionalism, Silent Dialogues, and Federalism's Multiple Ports of Entry|date=May 2006|accessdate=2008-04-11|volume=115|issue=7|page=1659|author=Resnik, Judith|journal=Yale Law Journal]

In a letter to Majority Leader Tom DeLay of April 16 2003,cite news|url=http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32232|title=New push to 'get U.S. out of U.N.': Congressmen ask for House floor vote during time of disdain for global body|date=2003-04-24|accessdate=2008-04-14|work=WorldNetDaily|author=Chumley, Cheryl K] 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." [cite news|title=America National Sovereignty vs. UN "International Law": Time for Congress to Vote|url=http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2003/cr042903.htm|author=Paul, Ron|work=Congressional Record|publisher=U.S. House of Representatives|date=2003-04-29|accessdate=2008-04-09] Though he does not foresee passage in the near future, Paul believes 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".

Though it had 54 supporters in the House in its first yearcite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-10289383_ITM|title=The Way to Win: G. Vance Smith is chief executive officer of The John Birch Society|date=2001-10-22|accessdate=2008-04-11|author=Smith, G. Vance|work=New American] and has had as many as 18 cosponsors, the ASRA is currently cosponsored only by Rep. John Duncan [R-TN] , Rep. Terry Everett [R-AL] , and Rep. Samuel Johnson [R-TX] . It has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The "New American" considers it "much-ignored" yet "vitally important in preserving American sovereignty", but expects "tricky tactics to slip certain [other] bills through Congress" instead. [cite news|title=Slipping through legislation: All too often members of Congress use legislative strategies to secure the passage of harmful bills that would otherwise potentially fail on the congressional floor|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Slipping+through+legislation:+all+too+often+members+of+Congress+use...-a0169636058|work=New American|publisher=American Opinion Publishing|author=Benoit, Mary|date=2007-10-01|accessdate=2008-04-09]

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". [cite news|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/kopel/kopel080901.shtml|title=U.N. Out of North America: The Small Arms Conference and the Second Amendment|author=Kopel, Dave|work=National Review|date=2001-08-09|accessdate=2008-04-09] Supporters approved of its intent to end financial ties to the UN, its peace-keeping missions, and its building in New York City. [cite news|title=Walking out of U.N.|url=http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32379|date=2003-05-03|accessdate=2008-04-09|publisher=WorldNetDaily|work=Veritas|author=Williams, Kyle] 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." [cite web|url=http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/pages/spotlight/2007/HR_1146_analysis.asp|title=H.R. 1146 - The American Sovereignty Restoration Act|author=Titus, Herbert W.|date=2003|publisher=Liberty Committee|accessdate=2007-12-13]

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". [cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=VA&p_theme=va&p_action=search&p_text_direct-0=0FB9BB1F36EAF1B1|title=Rescue U.S. from the U.N.|date=2003-06-11|accessdate=2008-04-14|work=Victoria Advocate|author=Editor|page=1]

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, UN claims of diplomatic immunity and Congressional subpoena power threaten each other, as in the oil-for-food scandal.cite news|url=http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0505/0505uncorral.htm|title=Showdown at the U.N. corral|date=2005-05-16|accessdate=2008-04-11|work=Enter Stage Right|author=Lamb, Henry]

Critics say it "undoubtedly paints a bull's-eye across the entire country". [cite news|url=http://www.bgnews.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=ae5996f3-f2ef-4b0c-95b1-049cb5574b39|title=The ongoing battle of the U.S. versus the rest of the world|date=2003-06-25|accessdate=2008-04-10|author=Powell, Keith J|work=BG News] 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."

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. [cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=xLpQywfzcCsC&pg=PA117&sig=CXi6oHKi9nJdtXXXoNB-bfhzadA|title=Canada Among Nations: Split Images|year=2005|accessdate=2008-04-14|author=Cooper, Andrew F., and Rowlands, Dave|others=Drache, Daniel, contrib.|page=117, 131]

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 74-350; [cite news|url=http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/7/16/114306.shtml|title=House Votes to Fund U.N. but Not Population Fund|date=2003-07-16|accessdate=2008-04-14|work=Cybercast News Service|author=Mbogo, Stephen] and Roscoe Bartlett's proposal to cut a $100 million payment to the UN, 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). [cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_/ai_55721716|title=Actually, the United Nations Owes Us!|date=1997-10-06|accessdate=2008-04-11|author=Elvin, John|work=Insight on the News]

The 2002 Republican Party of Texas platform explicitly urged passage of the ASRA; withdrawal from the UN had been on the platform at least since 1998. [cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Texans+issue+a+challenge.+(The+Right+Perspective).-a090750947|title=Texans issue a challenge|date=2002-08-26|accessdate=2008-04-11|author=McManus, John F|work=New American|publisher=American Opinion Publishing]

Both houses of the Arizona legislature introduced legislation petitioning Congress to pass the ASRA (HCM 2009 in 2004, SCM 1002 in 2006); [cite news|url=http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/46leg/2r/bills/hcm2009p.pdf|title=A Concurrent Memorial Urging the Congress of the United States to Enact H.R. 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003|publisher=Arizona Legislature|date=2004|accessdate=2008-04-09] [cite news|url=http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/47leg/2r/bills/scm1002p.pdf|title=A Concurrent Memorial Urging the Congress of the United States to Enact H.R. 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2005|publisher=Arizona Legislature|date=2006|accessdate=2008-04-09] 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 (USBill|109|HConRes|487, now USBill|110|HConRes|40). [cite news|url=http://www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/48leg/1r/bills/scm1002p.pdf|title=A Concurrent Memorial Urging the Congress of the United States to Withdraw the United States from the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America and Any Other Bilateral or Multilateral Activity That Seeks to Create a North American Union|publisher=Arizona Legislature|date=2007|accessdate=2008-04-09] [cite news|url=http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/1r/bills/scm1002o.asp|title=Bill Status Overview: SCM1002|publisher=Arizona Legislature|date=2007|accessdate=2008-04-09]

Advocacy

The John Birch Society recognizes the ASRA as a reflection of its efforts since 1962 toward U.S. withdrawal.

In 2000, the grassroots American Policy Center said it delivered to Congress more than 300,000 signatures from petitions in support of the Act. [cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=VA&p_theme=va&p_action=search&p_text_direct-0=0F74ABEA9FBF6CC1|title=Petitioners want U.S. out of U.N.|date=2000-09-08|accessdate=2008-04-14|work=Victoria Advocate|author=Bowen, Greg|page=1A]

The Liberty Committee also organized a nationwide petition drive asking Majority Leader Tom DeLay to schedule the bill for a vote. [cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5554/is_/ai_n21817657|title=Liberty Committee: Just 15 Minutes to Answer America's Question About the United Nations|date=2003-04-24|accessdate=2008-04-10|work=U.S. Newswire|format=subscription]

The "New American" sees Nathan Tabor's anti-UN book, "The Beast on the East River", as a building block toward ASRA passage, [cite news|url=http://www.thenewamerican.com/node/2106|title=Stalking the Beast|date=2006-12-11|accessdate=2008-04-11|author=Behreandt, Dennis|work=New American] which it advocates because "the U.S. military is currently being used as the enforcement arm of the United Nations." [cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/U.S.+defenders+or+UN+enforcers%3F+The+U.S.+military+is+currently+being...-a0133014519|title=U.S. defenders or UN enforcers? The U.S. military is currently being used as the enforcement arm of the United Nations. America's Armed Forces must be restored to their only proper role: national defense.|date=2005-05-30|accessdate=2008-04-11|work=New American|author=McManus, John F]

References

ee also

* Law of the United States
* Withdrawal from the United Nations
* United States withdrawal from the United Nations

External links

* [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1146: The Text of the Bill]