CWA Strongly Opposes U.S. Participation in Law of the Sea Treaty     2/23/2005
Revived U.N. treaty threatens U.S. sovreignty.
By Lanier Swann

Editor’s note: Lanier Swann prepared this statement for a press conference on Friday, February 18, 2005, concerning the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST).

During the 20 years that have passed since the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) threatened to jeopardize the national sovereignty of the United States, nothing has changed. No aspect of this treaty has improved over time to merit support for its ratification. Concerned Women for America, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization, strongly opposes the ratification of the LOST, just as we did two decades ago.

In the 1980s, we stood proudly behind President Ronald Reagan when he expressed his alarm over the implications of ratifying the LOST. He immediately recognized the treaty’s grave threat to undermine the national sovereignty and authority of the United States.

The consequences that were feared as a result of not signing the treaty have not come to pass. Just as Reagan predicted, not one American ship has been denied passage in foreign waters.

Proponents of ratifying the LOST want to perpetuate the myth that the passage of time has eliminated previous concerns that prevented its ratification under the Reagan administration. That simply isn’t the case. This treaty would, first and foremost, threaten one of the most precious elements of our society: our national sovereignty.

Furthermore, it would force undue taxation on all Americans to pay the price for permission to exploit the world’s seabeds. Making matters worse, these funds would for the first time be going straight to an international organization. This treaty would indeed create the power to levy international taxes.

There was no place for such an international superpower when this issue was first raised, and the 21st century has no room for it either.

On behalf of the millions of Americans represented by all of us in this room and for the sake of future generations, we are asking you to uphold the sovereignty of our country by opposing the ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty.

Lanier Swann is Director of Government Relations for Concerned Women for America.

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