VOA标准英语2012--Hopes Dim for US Ratification of Global Maritime Treaty

（单词翻译）

Hopes Dim for US Ratification¹ of Global Maritime² Treaty

Law of the Sea Convention

Maritime defense³, shipping⁴, and natural resources extraction are but a few of the endeavors covered by the Law of the Sea Convention, which governs how nations use the world’s oceans. Among major industrialized nations, only the United States has yet to join.

The treaty must be confirmed by the Senate for the U.S. to have any say in how it operates. But the Obama administration's hopes for a Senate vote were dashed this week because of growing Republican opposition⁵ to the pact⁶. 

“This is something that is not going to happen this year," says Senator James Inhofe."There are some 35 members and many more, I might suggest, that would vote against it, should it come up.”

Sovereignty issue

Inhofe says the treaty would erode⁷ U.S. sovereignty.

“It would, for the first time in the history of this country, authorize⁸ the United Nations to have taxing authority over the United States of America,” he added.

The Obama administration says the treaty does not allow any U.N. taxes. U.S. business groups support ratification, saying the treaty will expand opportunities for American companies and protect their maritime interests. The Senate opposition is disappointing to Joe Cox, who heads a group representing America’s commercial shipping industry.

“It is extremely frustrating⁹, because the way we view the sovereignty issue is the U.S. would actually be expanding its sovereignty capabilities¹⁰ by acceding¹¹ to the treaty,” he said.

Rumsfeld says U.S. shouldn't endorse¹²

Cox says the United States could veto any royalties¹³ charged on companies that extract resources from the seabed. But that does not satisfy critics, like former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

“I do not believe the United States should endorse a treaty that makes it a legal obligation for productive countries to pay royalties to less-productive countries based on rhetoric¹⁴ about common heritage of mankind,” he said.

Joe Cox believes treaty detractors miss a larger point.

“Cooperating with other nations on international issues is not detracting from American exceptionalism," he said. "In fact, I think it is highlighting American exceptionalism. But we have to be there to do it.”

Panetta supports 

The current U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta supports the treaty.

“As the world’s strongest, preeminent¹⁵ maritime power, we are a country that has one of the longest coastlines and one of the largest extended continental¹⁶ shelves in the world," Panetta said. "We have more to gain by approving this convention than almost any other country.”

A spokeswoman for Democratic Senator John Kerry, a treaty proponent¹⁷, says Kerry still hopes the convention will be ratified¹⁸, perhaps after the November elections.