Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Mike Pompeo

Mr. Speaker, over the past 1\1/2\ years, we've seen this President take away a lot of our freedoms with big spending and a big health care plan. I want to talk about another risk to American freedom today, and that is the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, also known as the Small Arms Treaty.

I'm profoundly disappointed, but, frankly, not surprised, that this administration is joining the United Nations in crafting this dangerous treaty designed to curtail our Second Amendment rights.

Parties in the negotiations about the treaty are talking about banning civilian possession of firearms, decreasing the ability for trade in firearms, and heavily restricting the rights of Americans to carry their firearms. Each one of these directives, if implemented, would clearly violate individual rights as ensconced in our Constitution.

The Senate should not ratify this treaty. We must never turn our national sovereignty over to anyone, most especially the United Nations.

As a former soldier who dearly loves his M250 caliber machine gun and loves his firearms as a civilian as well, I know that we have that right. We've got to stand up and protect it, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate not to ratify this treaty.