Rick Santorum got what he wanted: the Senate did not ratify a United Nations treaty to protect disabled people worldwide from discrimination Tuesday. The treaty failed 61 to 38, because a treaty must have the votes of two-thirds of senators to be ratified. Santorum, whose daughter Bella was born with a disability, has been pushing the Senate to reject the treaty — which aims to protect children like Bella around the world — since Election Day, and especially this week. He says it violates American sovereignty, even though the treaty would bring other nations' laws more in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Santorum feared the UN would somehow interfere with people homeschooling their disabled kids. The former Pennsylvania senator and Sen. Mike Lee collected the signatures of 36 senators who opposed the treaty.

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Elspeth Reeve