It hasn't been announced publicly yet, but look for the first Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on the Law of the Sea convention to take place on Sept. 27. Government witnesses will come then.

A second hearing will include two panels, the first featuring some expert supporters and selected opponents, followed by a second featuring industry representatives.

It seems at this point that the treaty's most vocal opponents are content to huff and puff but do very little. The strategy appears to be to use the Law of the Sea to raise as much money as possible, throw up a token opposition, and put the money away for a rainy day.

These funds could be used to fight comprehensive immigration reform or in a tilting-at-windmills battle against the Security and Prosperity Partnership with Mexico and Canada.

In either case, opponents simply want the Law of the Sea to go away. When it finally comes to a vote, it will be very clear that the vast majority of senators and their constituents want the U.S. to participate in fair and effective multilateral institutions.

Scott Paul