The US House of Representatives approved the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act today, which aims to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, in reaction to the court’s arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The bill passed with a 243-140 vote. Among those supporting the legislation were 198 Republicans and 45 Democrats. Every “Nay” vote came from Democratic members, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif). Some Democrats, like Ritchie Torres (D-NY), as well as New York Representatives Dan Goldman, Grace Meng, Laura Gillen, and Tom Suozzi, broke ranks to back the measure.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky opted to vote “Present” instead of casting a definitive vote.

Under the provisions of the bill, the President would be required to impose sanctions on Khan and other ICC officials involved in the arrest warrants for the Israeli leaders. These measures would include revoking their visas and ensuring that no American taxpayer dollars are allocated to the ICC.

Earlier this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled the chamber’s intention to take action against the ICC.
“This week, the House will vote to impose sanctions on ICC officials and put the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, back in his place,” Johnson declared.

Although a similar proposal was approved in the House last year, the Senate—then controlled by Democrats—did not advance the legislation. With Republicans now holding a majority in the Senate, the likelihood of the bill progressing has increased. However, passing the legislation into law would still require at least seven Democratic Senators to overcome a potential filibuster.

{Matzav.com}