U.S. Senate Blocks Bill to Sanction International Criminal Court
The bill, which protested the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, failed to secure enough votes to advance in the Senate.
The United States Senate has blocked legislation that sought to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defense minister.
The bill, titled the 'Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,' fell short of the 60 votes required to advance, with a final tally of 54 in favor and 45 against.
The measure had previously passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with bipartisan support, receiving 243 votes to 140.
The legislation proposed sanctions on individuals involved in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting U.S. citizens or those of allied nations, including Israel, that are not ICC members.
Critics argued the bill was overly broad, potentially harming U.S. companies and straining international alliances.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described the ICC’s actions as reflecting 'an anti-Israel bias,' but urged a 'no' vote, citing concerns over the bill’s implications for lower-level ICC staff and U.S. interests.
The vote in the Senate followed party lines, with most Democrats and independents opposing the measure.
Senator John Fetterman was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of advancing the bill.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff did not participate in the vote.
The legislation had earlier seen cross-party backing in the House, with 45 Democrats joining Republicans to pass the measure.
However, Senate opposition emphasized the need for a more narrowly tailored approach that would avoid unintended consequences, such as targeting U.S. firms whose products help safeguard the ICC from foreign cyberattacks.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The United States and Israel are not parties to the court, and both have been critical of its jurisdiction over non-member states.
The debate over the bill highlights ongoing tensions between the U.S. government and the ICC, particularly in cases involving Israeli officials.
The bill, titled the 'Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,' fell short of the 60 votes required to advance, with a final tally of 54 in favor and 45 against.
The measure had previously passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with bipartisan support, receiving 243 votes to 140.
The legislation proposed sanctions on individuals involved in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting U.S. citizens or those of allied nations, including Israel, that are not ICC members.
Critics argued the bill was overly broad, potentially harming U.S. companies and straining international alliances.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described the ICC’s actions as reflecting 'an anti-Israel bias,' but urged a 'no' vote, citing concerns over the bill’s implications for lower-level ICC staff and U.S. interests.
The vote in the Senate followed party lines, with most Democrats and independents opposing the measure.
Senator John Fetterman was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of advancing the bill.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff did not participate in the vote.
The legislation had earlier seen cross-party backing in the House, with 45 Democrats joining Republicans to pass the measure.
However, Senate opposition emphasized the need for a more narrowly tailored approach that would avoid unintended consequences, such as targeting U.S. firms whose products help safeguard the ICC from foreign cyberattacks.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The United States and Israel are not parties to the court, and both have been critical of its jurisdiction over non-member states.
The debate over the bill highlights ongoing tensions between the U.S. government and the ICC, particularly in cases involving Israeli officials.
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