Sen. Inhofe says U.N. Arms Trade Treaty could rule out current guns laws

An Oklahoma congressman quickly reacted to a decision to regulate global arms sales from the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning.

Senator Jim Inhofe says, “A U.N. Arms Trade Treaty just passed in the General Assembly today would require the United States to implement gun-control legislation as required by the treaty.”

The resolution adopting the landmark treaty was approved by a vote of 154 to 3 with 23 abstentions.

Inhofe believes the treaty will cancel our laws already in place.

“Recently 53 Senators went on the record voting in favor of my amendment to stop the State Department from negotiating this treaty. It's time the Obama Administration recognizes it is already a non-starter, and Americans will not stand for internationalists limiting and infringing upon their Constitutional rights.”

U.N. leaders say it will not control the domestic use of weapons in any country, but it will require countries to establish national regulations to control arms transfers.

Inhofe says the treaty could also disrupt diplomatic and national security efforts by preventing our government from assisting allies like Taiwan, South Korea and Israel.

“I will continue to work with my colleagues Sens. Moran, Manchin, and others to ensure the American people's voices are heard and that this treaty is not ratified.”

The 193-member world body voted Tuesday morning after Iran, North Korea and Syria blocked its adoption by consensus at a negotiating conference last Thursday. The three countries voted "no" on the resolution.

The vote capped a more than decade-long campaign by activists and some governments to regulate the $60 billion global arms trade and try to keep illicit weapons out of the hands of terrorists, insurgent fighters and organized crime.