Conservatives are letting opposition to international cooperation trump strong economic and strategic gains U.S. would receive from ratifying UNCLOS
Opponents are similarly reluctant to mention the unanimous support of affected U.S. industries. To oppose the treaty on economic grounds requires opponents to say that the oil, natural gas, shipping, fishing, boat manufacturing, exporting, and telecommunications industries do not understand their own bottom lines. It requires opponents to say that this diverse set of industries is spending money and time lobbying on behalf of an outcome that will be disadvantageous to their own interests.
The vast majority of conservative Republicans would support, in prospect, a generic measure that expands the ability of American oil and natural gas companies to drill for resources in new areas, solidifies the Navy's rights to traverse the oceans, enshrines U.S. economic sovereignty over our Exclusive Economic Zone extending 200 miles off our shore, helps our ocean industries create jobs, and reduces the prospects that Russia will be successful in claiming excessive portions of the Arctic. All of these conservative-backed outcomes would result from U.S. ratification of the Law of the Sea Convention. Yet the treaty is being blocked because of ephemeral conservative concerns that boil down to a discomfort with multi-lateralism.
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Arguments
Related argument(s) where this quote is used.
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Buoyed by ideological opposition to the United Nations, a small minority of conservative opponents in the Senate have stopped it from coming to a vote, even though it will advance U.S. interests in the Arctic and around the world.
Related Quotes:- U.S. ratification of UNCLOS has bipartisan support with exception of a small minority of Tea Party aligned senators
- Conservatives are letting opposition to international cooperation trump strong economic and strategic gains U.S. would receive from ratifying UNCLOS
- Only a small conservative minority holds up ratification of UNCLOS
Parent Arguments: -
All of the objections to UNCLOS have been answered through the past two decades of debate and study or the significant modifications to the treaty the U.S. demanded and won in 1994. In addition, the worst fears of opponents have not come to pass as the U.S. has already accepted UNCLOS as both customary law and as a guideline for domestic policy and has affirmed its committment to UNCLOS through multiple subsequent multilateral agreements.
Related Quotes:Supporting Arguments:- U.S. would not be exposing itself to liability for environmental damage in international courts by ratifying UNCLOS
- U.S. already abides by UNCLOS as a matter of customary international law and domestic policy
- The 1994 Agreement explicitly dealt with and resolved concerns U.S. had with ratifying UNCLOS
- Revenue sharing agreements in UNCLOS are not a reason to reject the treaty
- Dispute resolution mechanisms in UNCLOS are not a reason to reject the treaty
- U.S. will not be obligated to transfer technology under UNCLOS
- U.S. ratification of UNCLOS will not threaten our intelligence operations
- U.S. participation in UNCLOS will not undermine national sovereignty
- U.S. ability to conduct maritime interdiction operations will not be curtailed by UNCLOS
- UNCLOS is not administered by the United Nations
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