Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked Republicans from advancing legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court, arguing the bill had sweeping consequences on allies and American businesses.
Republicans failed to get the 60 votes needed to move the bill forward, with the final tally 54 to 45.
The vote marked one of the first defeats of the GOP agenda in the Senate this session.
Democrats last week also blocked a “born alive” abortion bill from passing in the upper chamber.
“The ICC bill is one I largely support and would like to see become law,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.
Democrats in the Senate prevented Republicans on Tuesday from moving forward with legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court, claiming the bill would have far-reaching effects on American companies and allies.
The final vote was 54 to 45, meaning Republicans did not receive the 60 votes required to advance the bill. In order to protect America’s allies and the United States, Senate Democrats had attempted to negotiate a bipartisan compromise on the bill. S. . The sanctions are intended to penalize the ICC’s pursuit of war crimes cases against Israel and prevent businesses that enter into contracts with the court from becoming entangled in them.
Sen. Fetterman John (Pa. was the sole Democrat to support the measure with a vote.
This vote was one of the first setbacks for the Republican agenda in the Senate this year. A “born alive” abortion bill was also prevented from passing in the upper house by Democrats last week.
“I would like to see the ICC bill become law and I largely support it,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N). Yep. stated prior to the vote on the Senate floor.
But as much as I want to see the ICC fundamentally changed and reformed and as much as I oppose its bias against Israel, the bill that is currently in front of us is badly written and has many serious issues. “.”.
Republicans dismissed Sen. Shaheen Jeanne (D-N. H. . ) to alter the text to exempt America’s allies and the U.S. from sanctions. A. businesses interacting with the court. According to Schumer, the wording change was only a “small fix.”. “”.
“We hope and urge our Republican colleagues to sit down with us and come up with a bill that addresses the very real problems at the ICC without negatively affecting American companies and our allies,” Schumer stated, adding that a bipartisan agreement is still very possible.
In response to the ICC’s efforts to investigate war crimes against Israel, Senate Republicans attempted to advance legislation that was approved by the House earlier this month that would impose sanctions on ICC officials, organizations, and supporters.
Amid Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed over 40,000 lives, the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last spring for the crime of using starvation as a weapon of war. As the culprit behind the October attack, the court also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, the military leader of Hamas. A terrorist attack against Israel on July 7, 2023, is thought to have killed 1,200 people and taken 250 hostage.
The sanctions were criticized for creating a false equivalency between Hamas, which the United States has classified as a terrorist. S. . Israel’s right to defend itself, the European Union, and others.
But Democrats largely opposed Republican efforts to sanction the court over its actions, saying the bill’s language would block the U. S. or allies from interacting with the court regarding other attempts to gain redress for crimes and war crimes committed worldwide.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark. was the lead co-sponsor for Republicans in the Senate. According to Shaheen, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s ranking member, she hopes to reach a consensus with Cotton regarding the bill’s wording.
“While I am aware that we have many of the same concerns as he does when it comes to the bill’s drafting, I believe it is too general and does not adequately address the particular concerns we have regarding the International Criminal Court,” she stated.
Revised at 3:18 p.m. M.
