The House passed a Republican-backed bill that would punish the International Criminal Court for its decision to seek the arrest of key Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 247–155. Forty-two Democrats joined 205 Republicans in voting for it, reflecting Democratic splits over the Gaza war. Two Republicans voted present.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, declared on Tuesday that the ICC must face consequences for this action. “We cannot allow this to stand.”
The bill, filed by Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and cosponsored by more than 70 Republicans, would punish anybody involved in “any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.” The sanctions include withdrawing ICC officials’ US visas, banning their entry into the country, and prohibiting them from conducting property transactions.
Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, said members of his party continue to support Israel despite their opposition to the proposal.
“The relationship between the United States and Israel is strong,” he told reporters Tuesday. “We’re going to continue to be a strong ally of Israel.”
The move to penalize the ICC was initially thought to be bipartisan, after Republicans and Democrats voiced fury when the court’s top prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for suspected war crimes in Gaza. The prosecutor also seeks arrest warrants for Hamas leaders.
However, after condemning the ICC, the White House said that it would not support the legislation. The White House released a statement on Monday, stating that it “strongly opposes” the proposal due to its overly broad nature.
“This legislation could require sanctions against court staff, judges, witnesses, and U.S. allies and partners who provide even limited, targeted support to the court in a range of aspects of its work,” the White House said, though it did not threaten a veto if the measure reaches the president’s desk.
During Tuesday’s floor discussion on the bill, House Democrats advanced similar points.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York, said the proposal is “counterproductive” to U.S. interests and weakens the country’s global leadership.
“Sanctioning the court and those who support it will have a negative impact on us,” Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said.
Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that the ICC’s activities against Israel “have cheapened the court’s reputation” by prioritizing “politics over justice.”
“Today it’s Israel,” he explained. “Tomorrow, it could be the United States, and we must sanction those who deliberately abuse their power for political gain.”
The Democratic-controlled Senate is likely to ignore the bill.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, stated that his party is still eager to work with Republicans to find a bipartisan solution to “a runaway ICC” that does not jeopardize U.S. diplomacy with its judicial partners.
