{"id":263661,"date":"2024-06-10T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T11:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=263661"},"modified":"2024-06-05T12:00:16","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T11:00:16","slug":"usa-42-house-dems-help-gop-pass-bill-targeting-icc-officials-over-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2024\/06\/usa-42-house-dems-help-gop-pass-bill-targeting-icc-officials-over-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"USA: 42 House Dems Help GOP Pass Bill Targeting ICC Officials over Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The ACLU warned the legislation would “harm free speech protections” and “undermine the rule of law and the independence of the ICC.”<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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5 Jun 2024 <\/em>– Human rights defenders yesterday decried the U.S. House of Representatives\u2019 passage of a bill that would sanction International Criminal Court officials over the Hague tribunal\u2019s pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli leaders\u2014legislation critics warned would undermine the court\u2019s independence and could be weaponized to silence North Americans\u2019 free speech.House lawmakers\u00a0voted 247-155<\/a>\u00a0in favor of\u00a0H.R. 8282<\/a>, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. Forty-two pro-Israel Democrats joined all but two Republicans who voted \u201cpresent\u201d in approving the bill, which was sponsored by far-right Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea that they would issue an arrest warrant for the prime minister of\u00a0Israel<\/a>, defense minister of Israel, at the time where they\u2019re fighting for their nation\u2019s very existence against the evil of Hamas as a proxy of Iran is unconscionable to us,\u201d said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.),\u00a0according to<\/a>The Hill<\/em>. \u201cAnd as I said a couple of weeks ago, the ICC has to be punished for this action.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said on the House floor ahead of Tuesday\u2019s vote that \u201cwe need the ICC\u201d because \u201cin the last 241 days, thousands, thousands have been victims of unimaginable atrocities, and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu\u2019s violations of international law have threatened the peace of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When my Republican colleagues cannot legislate and instead decide to score cheap political points, they fear-monger, punish and silence. <\/p>\n

Today, I voted no on H.R. 8282 because I believe we must affirm accountability to international humanitarian law and put an end to impunity\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/DSCn37g6nF<\/a><\/p>\n

— Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (@repdeliaramirez) June 4, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n