Live Blogging from the Senate Law of the Sea Treaty Hearing

The hearing room is full, though not packed enough for anyone to be standing.

Fred is testifying now. See here for his testimony.

Some notes on previous witnesses:

Adm. Vern Clark cited potential collisions with other vessels as a reason to ratify the treaty.

Frank Gaffney fired the first salvo in opposition, by citing the Senate’s “responsibility to advise and consent” on treaties “by a two-thirds majority.”

“The costs of this treaty outweigh its putative costs.” He commented, “It pains me that with the exception of my colleague here Fred Smith” and himself, there are no other opposition witnesses.

He notes that the treaty, which was first intended to secure navigational rights, has been. “hijacked along the trail” by “the Soviet Union” and “the so-called non-aligned” countries to create a global redistributionist regime.