{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2025-01-09-pt1-PgH67-6", "2025-01-09", 119, 1, null, null, "ILLEGITIMATE COURT COUNTERACTION ACT", "HOUSE", "HOUSE", "ALLOTHER", "H67", "H74", "[{\"name\": \"Brian J. Mast\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"James P. McGovern\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Chip Roy\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Tim Burchett\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Michael Lawler\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Tom McClintock\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Randy K. Weber, Sr.\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Andy Biggs\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Max L. Miller\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Ronny Jackson\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Al Green\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}, {\"name\": \"Christopher H. Smith\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", "[{\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HRES\", \"number\": \"5\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HRES\", \"number\": \"5\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"23\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"23\"}, {\"congress\": \"119\", \"type\": \"HR\", \"number\": \"23\"}]", "171 Cong. Rec. H67", "Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2025)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2025)]\n[House]\n[Pages H67-H74]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                  ILLEGITIMATE COURT COUNTERACTION ACT\n\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up the\nbill (H.R. 23) to impose sanctions with respect to the International\nCriminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or\nprosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies, and\nask for its immediate consideration in the House.\n  The Clerk read the title of the bill.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 5, the bill is\nconsidered read.\n  The text of the bill is as follows:\n\n                                H.R. 23\n\n       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of\n     the United States of America in Congress assembled,\n\n     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.\n\n       This Act may be cited as the ``Illegitimate Court\n     Counteraction Act''.\n\n     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.\n\n       Congress finds the following:\n       (1) The United States and Israel are not parties to the\n     Rome Statute or members of the International Criminal Court\n     (ICC), and therefore the ICC has no legitimacy or\n     jurisdiction over the United States or Israel.\n\n[[Page H68]]\n\n       (2) On May 20, 2024, the Prosecutor of the International\n     Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced arrest warrant\n     applications for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\n     and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and should be condemned\n     in the strongest possible terms.\n       (3) On November 21, 2024, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber\n     issued warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant,\n     which should be condemned in the strongest possible terms.\n       (4) The bipartisan American Servicemembers' Protection Act\n     was enacted in 2002 to protect United States military\n     personnel, United States officials, and officials and\n     military personnel of certain allied countries against\n     criminal prosecution by an international criminal court to\n     which the United States is not party, stating, ``In addition\n     to exposing members of the Armed Forces of the United States\n     to the risk of international criminal prosecution, the Rome\n     Statute creates a risk that the President and other senior\n     elected and appointed officials of the United States\n     Government may be prosecuted by the International Criminal\n     Court.''.\n       (5) The ICC's actions against Israel, including the\n     preliminary examination and investigation of Israel and\n     issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli officials, are\n     illegitimate and baseless and create a damaging precedent\n     that threatens the United States, Israel, and all United\n     States partners who have not consented to the ICC's\n     jurisdiction.\n       (6) The United States must oppose any action by the ICC\n     against the United States, Israel, or any other ally of the\n     United States that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction or\n     is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC.\n\n     SEC. 3. SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL\n                   COURT.\n\n       (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of\n     enactment of this Act, and on an ongoing basis thereafter, if\n     the International Criminal Court is engaging in any attempt\n     to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected\n     person, the President shall impose--\n       (1) the sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect\n     to any foreign person the President determines--\n       (A) has directly engaged in or otherwise aided any effort\n     by the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest,\n     detain, or prosecute a protected person;\n       (B) has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided\n     financial, material, or technological support for, or goods\n     or services to or in support of any effort by the\n     International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest, detain,\n     or prosecute a protected person; or\n       (C) is owned or controlled by, or is currently acting or\n     purports to have acted, directly or indirectly, for or on\n     behalf of any person that directly engages in any effort by\n     the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest,\n     detain, or prosecute a protected person; and\n       (2) the sanctions described in subsection (b)(2) with\n     respect to the immediate family members of each foreign\n     person who is subject to sanctions pursuant to paragraph (1).\n       (b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this\n     subsection with respect to a foreign person described in\n     subsection (a) are the following:\n       (1) Property blocking.--The President shall exercise all of\n     the powers granted by the International Emergency Economic\n     Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary\n     to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and\n     interests in property of any foreign person described in\n     subsection (a)(1) if such property and interests in property\n     are in the United States, come within the United States, or\n     are or come within the possession or control of a United\n     States person.\n       (2) Aliens inadmissible for visas, admission, or parole.--\n       (A) Visas, admission, or parole.--In the case of an alien\n     described in subsection (a), the alien is--\n       (i) inadmissible to the United States;\n       (ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to\n     enter the United States; and\n       (iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into\n     the United States or to receive any other benefit under the\n     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).\n       (B) Current visas revoked.--\n       (i) In general.--The visa or other entry documentation of\n     an alien described in subparagraph (A) shall be revoked,\n     regardless of when such visa or other entry documentation was\n     issued.\n       (ii) Immediate effect.--A revocation under clause (i)\n     shall--\n\n       (I) take effect immediately; and\n       (II) automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry\n     documentation that is in the alien's possession.\n\n       (c) Implementation; Penalties.--\n       (1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all\n     authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the\n     International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702\n     and 1704) to carry out this section.\n       (2) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to\n     violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of this\n     section or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry\n     out this section shall be subject to the penalties set forth\n     in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the\n     International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705)\n     to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act\n     described in subsection (a) of that section.\n       (d) Notification to Congress.--Not later than 10 days after\n     any imposition of sanctions pursuant to subsection (a), the\n     President shall brief and provide written notification to the\n     appropriate congressional committees regarding the imposition\n     of sanctions that shall include--\n       (1) a description of the foreign person or persons subject\n     to the imposition of such sanctions, including the foreign\n     person's role at or relation to the International Criminal\n     Court;\n       (2) a description of any activity undertaken by such\n     foreign person or persons in support of efforts to\n     investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected\n     person; and\n       (3) the specific sanctions imposed on such foreign person\n     or persons.\n       (e) Waiver.--\n       (1) In general.--The President may, on a case-by-case basis\n     and for periods not to exceed 90 days each, waive the\n     application of sanctions imposed or maintained with respect\n     to a foreign person under this section if the President\n     submits to the appropriate congressional committees before\n     the waiver is to take effect a report that contains a\n     determination of the President that the waiver is vital to\n     the national security interests of the United States.\n       (2) Contents.--Each report required by paragraph (1) with\n     respect to a waiver of the application of sanctions imposed\n     or maintained with respect to a foreign person under this\n     section, or the renewal of such a waiver, shall include--\n       (A) a specific and detailed rationale for the determination\n     that the waiver is vital to the national security interests\n     of the United States;\n       (B) a description of the activity that resulted in the\n     foreign person being subject to sanctions;\n       (C) a detailed description and list of actions the United\n     States has taken to stop the International Criminal Court\n     from engaging in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain,\n     or prosecute all protected persons; and\n       (D) a detailed description and list of actions the\n     International Criminal Court has taken to permanently close,\n     withdraw, end, or otherwise terminate any preliminary\n     examination, investigation, or any other effort to\n     investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute all protected\n     persons.\n       (3) Form.--Each report required by paragraph by paragraph\n     (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a\n     classified annex.\n       (f) Special Rule.--The President may terminate the\n     sanctions with respect to the foreign persons described in\n     subsection (a) if the President certifies in writing to the\n     appropriate congressional committees that the International\n     Criminal Court--\n       (1) has ceased engaging in any effort to investigate,\n     arrest, detain, or prosecute all protected persons; and\n       (2) has permanently closed, withdrawn, ended, and otherwise\n     terminated any preliminary examination, investigation, or any\n     other effort by the International Criminal Court to\n     investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute all protected\n     persons.\n\n     SEC. 4. RESCISSION OF FUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT.\n\n       (a) In General.--Effective on the date of the enactment of\n     this Act, any amounts appropriated for the International\n     Criminal Court and available for obligation as of such date\n     of enactment are hereby rescinded.\n       (b) Prohibition on Future Appropriations.--On and after the\n     date of the enactment of this Act, no appropriated funds may\n     be used for the International Criminal Court.\n\n     SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.\n\n       In this Act:\n       (1) Admitted alien.--The terms ``admitted'' and ``alien''\n     have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the\n     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).\n       (2) Ally of the united states.--The term ``ally of the\n     United States'' means--\n       (A) a government of a member country of the North Atlantic\n     Treaty Organization; or\n       (B) a government of a major non-NATO ally, as that term is\n     defined by section 2013(7) of the American Service-Members'\n     Protection Act (22 U.S.C. 7432(7)).\n       (3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--The term\n     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--\n       (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on\n     Financial Services, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the\n     House of Representatives; and\n       (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations the Committee on\n     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on the\n     Judiciary of the Senate.\n       (4) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a\n     person that is not a United States person.\n       (5) Immediate family member.--The term ``immediate family\n     member'', with respect to a foreign person, means the spouse,\n     parent, sibling, or adult child of the person.\n       (6) International criminal court; rome statute.--The terms\n     ``International Criminal Court'' and ``Rome Statute'' have\n     the meaning given those terms in section 2013 of the American\n     Service-Members' Protection Act (22 U.S.C. 7432).\n       (7) Protected person.--The term ``protected person''\n     means--\n       (A) any United States person, unless the United States\n     provides formal consent to International Criminal Court\n     jurisdiction and is a state party to the Rome Statute of the\n     International Criminal Court, including--\n       (i) current or former members of the Armed Forces of the\n     United States;\n\n[[Page H69]]\n\n       (ii) current or former elected or appointed officials of\n     the United States Government; and\n       (iii) any other person currently or formerly employed by or\n     working on behalf of the United States Government;\n       (B) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident\n     of an ally of the United States that has not consented to\n     International Criminal Court jurisdiction or is not a state\n     party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal\n     Court, including--\n       (i) current or former members of the Armed Forces of such\n     ally of the United States;\n       (ii) current or former elected or appointed government\n     officials of such ally of the United States; and\n       (iii) any other person currently or formerly employed by or\n     working on behalf of such a government.\n       (8) United states person.--The term ``United States\n     person'' means--\n       (A) an individual who is a United States citizen or an\n     alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United\n     States;\n       (B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States\n     or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a\n     foreign branch of such an entity; or\n       (C) any person in the United States.\n\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill shall be debatable for 1 hour,\nequally divided and controlled by the majority leader and the minority\nleader, or their respective designees.\n  The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) and the gentleman from\nMassachusetts (Mr. McGovern) each will control 30 minutes.\n  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast).\n\n                             General Leave\n\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may\nhave 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to\ninclude extraneous material on this measure.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the\ngentleman from Florida?\n  There was no objection.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Illegitimate Court\nCounteraction Act, a bill that I am proud to have worked on with my\ncolleague and friend, Chip Roy, a bill that sanctions International\nCriminal Court officials and their families and anybody who is\nassisting them.\n  Why? It is because they are targeting America's allies, who are right\nnow the front line of fighting to bring American hostages home from\nGaza.\n  America is passing this law because, on November 21, 2024, the\nInternational Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber issued warrants for\nthe arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's\nformer Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant.\n  Let me explain that in a more detailed way. America is passing this\nlaw because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the Prime Minister of\nour great ally, Israel, who is not only responding to an enemy which\nconducted a genocide, killing as many men, women, and children as\npossible, even beheading some of them, on October 7, 2023, but an enemy\nwho still holds 100 hostages, scores of bodies of those that they\nmurdered, including 7 of my fellow Americans. Let me say that again.\nIsrael is the tip of the spear in bringing the fight to an enemy who\ncurrently holds and has killed our fellow Americans.\n  Israel has conducted this war with as much restraint as war can\nallow. In the face of horror, they have shown humanity. We know that\nfor Israel, any civilian dying is a tragedy, and we know that for Hamas\nand the Palestinians who support them, civilians dying is quite\nliterally their strategy for victory.\n  Hamas' strategy uses hospitals and schools as bases for combat\noperations. It is not that some fighter accidentally walked into a\nhospital for 5 minutes carrying their machine gun. No, they build\nhospitals and schools into fortified launching points for attack. In\nclear violation of the laws of armed conflict, Hamas deliberately\ntargets civilians.\n  What the ICC is doing with their arrest warrants is legitimizing the\nfalse accusations of Israeli war crimes in order to do something to\nstop the overwhelming success of Israeli military operations.\n  Mr. Speaker, I don't care if a person is a terrorist in a cave or if\nthey are a lawyer in The Hague. If they are getting in the way of\nbringing home our Americans or bringing home our allies who are, as we\nspeak in this very moment, bound, blindfolded, tortured, raped,\nenslaved, starved, facing execution, if you are getting in the way of\nbringing them home, then we will give you no quarter. We will certainly\nnot allow you to be welcomed to American soil.\n  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the gentleman from Florida\nfor his opening and congratulate him on his new chairmanship. I hope\nthat there will be occasions where we can work together on issues that\nwill advance the cause of human rights and promote stability in the\nworld, but unfortunately, today is not one of those occasions.\n  Mr. Speaker, of all the ways that Republicans have shown this country\nhow messed up and backward their priorities are, I have to say that\nthis bill that we are debating today to sanction the International\nCriminal Court, the ICC, really takes the cake.\n  We have a natural disaster unfolding in California right this second\nas 100,000 people are fleeing a climate change-driven fire that is\nburning up entire neighborhoods. We have a gun violence epidemic, as we\nsee massacres in our schools nearly every single day. Families are\nunable to make ends meet because they are being ripped off by\nbillionaire corporations that don't care about anything but the bottom\nline.\n  There are over 40 million hungry people in this country who don't\nknow where their next meal is going to come from. There are 40 million\nhungry people in the richest country on Earth.\n  All those challenges and this is what the out-of-touch, elitist,\nbillionaire Republican Party wants to waste time on, sanctioning the\nICC.\n  I actually listen to people in my district, Mr. Speaker, and I ask\nthem what they want Congress to work on. Not once, never ever, have I\nheard them talk about sanctioning the ICC as one of their priorities.\nThey talk about their bills. They talk about healthcare costs. The\nfarmers in my district talk to me about climate change. They talk about\nglobal problems, but they don't talk about sanctioning the ICC.\n  Republicans think this is so very important, such an emergency, that\nwe have to debate it during the first week of Congress--during Jimmy\nCarter's funeral, by the way, which is offensive considering his record\non actually standing up for human rights, which is the opposite of what\nthis bill does.\n  I would say to America, no, don't worry about climate change because\nRepublicans are going to sanction the janitors at the ICC. While they\nare at it, they are going to rename the Gulf of Mexico. That is really\ngoing to help people pay bills and keep the lights on.\n  All I can say, Mr. Speaker, is that this is not what America voted\nfor. This Republican majority is not what people asked for in the last\nelection. Maybe that is why Republicans lost multiple seats, because\nthey keep bringing up lousy bills like this one.\n\n  Nonetheless, let's talk about the matter at hand.\n  Mr. Speaker, the terror attacks on October 7 were unconscionable and\nunacceptable. The victims on that dark day were overwhelmingly\ncivilians, 62 of whom are still being held illegally as hostages in\nunknown circumstances. I would hope that every single Member of this\nChamber would demand their immediate and unconditional release.\n  It was an attack, I think, that rises to the level of war crimes and\ncrimes against humanity. That is the reason that the International\nCriminal Court applied for arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders\nin May 2024. No one seemed to criticize the ICC for that decision.\n  Now, Republicans want to sanction the ICC simply because they don't\nwant the rules to apply to everyone.\n  I want to be very clear here, Mr. Speaker. Prime Minister Netanyahu\nhas an absolute right to defend his people, but there is no\ninternational right to vengeance, and what we are seeing in Gaza is\nvengeance.\n  I mean, where is our humanity? Have we just given up on the idea of\nhuman rights?\n  At least 45,000 people have been killed in the war in Gaza, and I\nfear that number is much higher. Mr. Speaker, 85 percent of the people\nthere have been forcibly displaced, often repeatedly. Last September, a\ngroup of\n\n[[Page H70]]\n\nphysicians estimated 62,000 had died of starvation. Hospitals, schools,\nmosques, churches, and libraries have all been destroyed.\n  Food is not getting in. Water is not getting in. Medicine is not\ngetting in. People are dying. Children are dying. Babies are dying,\nsome of them from the bombs, some from starvation, some from the cold.\n  The war has not shrunk. It expanded to Lebanon, where I hope the\nrecent truce continues to hold.\n  Mr. Speaker, I have sharply critiqued my own government for our\nconduct when we have been at war because right is right and wrong is\nwrong, no matter what side you are on.\n  What is going on in Gaza right now is wrong, and I especially call it\nout because if we stand for freedom and human rights, then we need to\nstand for freedom and human rights all the time, not just when it is\nconvenient.\n  That is why the nations of the world set up the International\nCriminal Court in the first place. This is an institution designed to\nmake sure the horrors that we saw all too often in the 20th century do\nnot repeat themselves in the 21st century.\n\n                              {time}  1000\n\n  We have international humanitarian law to prevent this kind and this\nscale of destruction. Just because someone doesn't like the law doesn't\nmean they get to break the law.\n  As a court of last resort, the ICC can only become involved when and\nwhere a country has demonstrated unwillingness or inability to hold its\npeople to account for crimes within the ICC's jurisdiction. When the\nwarrants were issued, the ICC appealed to the Israeli courts to take up\nand investigate these charges under their own jurisdiction. There is\nstill time for the Israeli courts to do that.\n  In fact, my understanding is that the Israeli Government is appealing\nthese arrest warrants at the ICC. Ironically, these sanctions could\nactually undermine those efforts.\n  Mr. Speaker, I want the United States and Israel to have an amazing\nrelationship and friendship, but friendship means we tell the truth. It\nmeans we hold ourselves and our allies to the same high standards.\n  I understand why people want vengeance. I have been to the region\nthat Hamas attacked. I have met with the families of hostages and the\nvictims of October 7 whose lives have been destroyed by what happened;\nmany, by the way, who are furious at Prime Minister Netanyahu for the\nway he has conducted this war and for his failure to bring home their\nloved ones.\n  I have met with people in my district who have been deeply impacted\nby this horrific tragedy, including too many who are justifiably afraid\nabout the rise of anti-Semitism in this country and around the world.\n  The overwhelming majority of this Congress, Mr. Speaker, has voted to\nsupport basically unlimited military assistance and offensive weapons\nto Mr. Netanyahu, but even if someone approves of that military\nassistance, they should vote against this bill.\n  I have long considered myself a friend of Israel. I have traveled\nthere. I believe Israelis deserve security. They deserve peace. They\ndeserve safety.\n  However, turning a blind eye to what is happening in Gaza and saying\nthat all these civilian casualties are somehow okay, in my opinion,\ndoes not make Israel more safe. It makes Israel less safe, less secure.\n  Sanctioning and attacking the ICC is not only bad for Israel, but it\nis bad for the United States. It is bad for the world.\n  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the\nbalance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  We are the people's House. Let me translate what was just said: It is\nnot a priority for the people's House to do everything possible to get\nour people home, to include getting in the way of those who are getting\nin our way.\n  Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy),\nthe genesis of and the lead sponsor of this legislation.\n  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida, the chairman,\nfor his support on this legislation. I thank him for his statesmanship\non this particular issue, which is critically important for not just\nour friendship with our ally, Israel, but also our own national\nsecurity, the protection of our own men and women in uniform.\n  Let's be clear about what is happening at the so-called International\nCriminal Court right now. It has taken unprecedented action of issuing\narrest warrants for the sitting Prime Minister and former Minister of\nDefense of our friend and ally, Israel. Let that sink in for a minute.\n  The International Criminal Court is an entity that has no\njurisdiction over the people of the United States and should have no\nauthority over our people, no authority over the Prime Minister of\nIsrael, yet it is extending into the people of Israel's business in\ndefending their interests against a violent attack by Hamas, which we\ndefine as a terrorist entity. As the chairman just pointed out, Hamas\nhas killed American citizens and holds American citizens hostage as we\nsit here today.\n  Somehow, it is not a priority for the people of our country that we\nrepresent for us to be here on the floor of the House defending our men\nand women in uniform, defending our citizens, defending our ally,\nIsrael, and the Prime Minister of Israel from a politicized witch hunt\nby the International Criminal Court which, again, should have and\ndoesn't have any jurisdiction over our people or the people of Israel.\n  I would remind the gentleman from Massachusetts that 42 Democrats\nvoted for this legislation last year. If this is such a crazy piece of\nlegislation, perhaps the gentleman would like to have an inward-facing\nconference on his side of the aisle. It is very clearly a bipartisan\ninterest to protect our people and the people of our friends in Israel.\n  I would note that our problems aren't just the dangerous terrorist\norganizations like Hamas, but these international organizations given\npower over our citizens and our way of life; not just the International\nCriminal Court, but, for example, UNRWA and other international\norganizations without which Hamas wouldn't have many of the resources\nit needs to conduct these violent attacks on Israel and our own people.\n  When the gentleman from Massachusetts talks about the plight of the\npeople in Gaza, we should be reminded of the massive piles of pallets\nof food and relief that are stacked up because the United Nations is\ntoo incompetent to move those pallets and remind our friends of the\nextent to which Hamas has been taking those resources and not\ndistributing them to the people in Gaza.\n  The fact of the matter here is, this legislation is inherently\nAmerica first. We have had situations where we have had American\nsoldiers and our people targeted by the ICC. It will happen again if\nthe House of Representatives and the Senate and the President don't\ntake action to sanction the ICC to prevent this from happening again in\nthe future.\n  I appreciate the support of the chairman. I appreciate the support of\nvirtually every Member on the Republican side of the aisle. I\nappreciate the support of the 42 Democrats last summer. I look forward\nto a larger amount of support from Democrats when we vote on this\ntoday.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  First of all, to the gentleman from Texas, yeah, I don't know how the\nvote on this will come out. I am sure some Democrats may vote for it.\nActually, on our side, we welcome debate, and we welcome ways to\nimprove the legislation. I am told that there were negotiations going\non to try to actually improve this legislation, and then the Speaker\nmade a unilateral decision to go with the most extreme version.\n  This was not marked up in committee, and there were no amendments to\nthis. It didn't come to the Rules Committee, so nobody can offer an\namendment, nobody can make a suggestion. It is take it or leave it. I\nmean, I guess that is the way the Republicans are going to want to run\nthe House.\n  To the distinguished chairman of the committee, I think he must have\nmisinterpreted me. He said something like: This is the people's House,\nso let me translate what the gentleman, meaning me, just said in my\nopening remarks. He said bringing the hostages home should not be a\npriority.\n  Now, I know I am from Massachusetts and you may have a tough time\n\n[[Page H71]]\n\nunderstanding my accent, but the bottom line is, that is not what I\nsaid. In fact, I said very clearly that the taking of hostages is a war\ncrime. What I said very clearly is that the hostages should be released\nimmediately and unconditionally. I have said that over and over and\nover again.\n  I don't think, like many of the families of the hostages have\nexpressed to me, that increased bombing is going to result in getting\ntheir loved ones home. That is the message that many of them have\ndelivered to me personally when they have visited here in Washington.\n  Again, please don't kind of manipulate what I have said here today.\nThe taking of these hostages is horrific, and they must be released\nimmediately and unconditionally. I hope that nobody disagrees with\nthat.\n  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, what the gentleman did say very clearly was\nthat this legislation is not a priority, and this legislation is meant\nto get in the way of those who are getting in our way from getting our\nAmericans home.\n  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.\nBurchett).\n  Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and Mr. Roy for\nbringing this important piece of legislation to us.\n  Let's be clear. H.R. 23 is very clear: The International Criminal\nCourt, the ICC, don't believe Israel has the right to defend itself\nfrom terrorists or those that threaten to destroy Israel's way of life.\n  The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC for good\nreason and without accident. Mr. Speaker, it is a dadgum sham court is\nwhat it is. These decisions by the ICC are reckless, and they not only\nput Israel at risk, they put Americans at risk as well.\n  The United States, with our new Congress and new administration, is\nnot going to put up with these international organizations putting us\nand our allies in harm's way. Hamas chose war, and dadgummit, Hamas got\nwar.\n  The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, has made a parody of justice, and he\nneeds to find his place or we will help him find it. I know when I get\nback to the office, I am going to get texts or contacts from people\nsaying that my AIPAC handler told me to do this, and I will probably\nget my AIPAC handler in trouble, but I don't even know who the heck he\nor she is.\n  The truth is, this is right. America should be on the side of the\nright. Anyone standing in the way of this important piece of\nlegislation, I think, owes the American public an explanation and owes\nespecially your Jewish constituency an explanation.\n  I fully support H.R. 23, and I look forward to passing it here\nshortly.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  Mr. Speaker, again, I am going to respond to the chairman of the\ncommittee. Yeah, we do disagree on the impact of this bill. I disagree\nthat this bill is going to do anything to get the hostages released.\nEvery time we have seen hostages released, it has been during a cease-\nfire and not in the middle of intense bombing.\n  Again, as many families of the hostages have expressed to me\ndirectly, they worry very much about the Prime Minister's continued\npolicy of all-in in terms of military attacks in Gaza because they\nworry very much that it decreases the likelihood that their loved\nones will be freed. I reserve the balance of my time.\n\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the\ngentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler), a patriot.\n  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I would note that the gentleman from\nMassachusetts is talking about the Prime Minister.\n  What about the President of the United States?\n  We have seven Americans still being held hostage; four deceased,\nthree presumed living.\n  Where is Joe Biden? Where is the President of the United States to\nmake sure that American hostages are being brought home?\n  It is shameful the way this administration has allowed these hostages\nto languish. They have not put adequate pressure on our allies. They\nhave failed miserably in their responsibility to get Americans home.\nWhen, in fact, there have been cease-fires and when, in fact, hostages\nhave been released, Americans have not been released. It is shameful.\n  I rise in support of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act to\nreimpose sanctions on officials working for the International Criminal\nCourt. This institution has continually abused its authority and\ndemonstrated blatant hostility toward our allies and American values,\nas Israel has continued to defend itself against terrorists in the\nMiddle East, over the objections of this administration, by the way.\n  Let's be clear, Sinwar and Nasrallah would still be alive if\nNetanyahu listened to this administration.\n  The ICC has joined the U.N. in showing a clear bias against Israel.\nThis culminated in the ICC seeking arrest warrants of the Prime\nMinister and other members of his cabinet.\n  The Israelis have been working tirelessly for over a year to rescue\nhundreds of hostages still held by Hamas and to defend their own people\nfrom further attacks.\n\n                              {time}  1015\n\n  The ICC's actions amount to a little more than a political smear\ncampaign cloaked in a veneer of international law. This pattern of\nbehavior from the ICC is not new. This is the same body that has\nrepeatedly targeted the United States and our servicemembers,\nattempting to investigate and prosecute Americans who have risked their\nlives to defend our freedom around the world.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the\ngentleman from New York.\n  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this\ncritical measure and ensure that the U.S. remains steadfast in\ndefending our allies, protecting our existence, and upholding the\ntenets that have long defined our leadership on the world stage.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I say to the gentleman, that was a great\nspeech for social media, but it will do nothing to get the hostages\nreleased, just like this bill.\n  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.\n  THE SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida has 18 minutes\nremaining. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 19 minutes remaining.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I would remind everybody that every time my\ncolleagues across the way rise, they rise to oppose legislation that\nwould get in the way of those getting in our way of bringing Americans\nhome. That is what they are standing against. That is what they are\nrising against.\n  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.\nMcClintock).\n  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, the unprovoked and barbaric attack on\nIsraeli civilians on October 7 presented Israel with a fundamental\nmoral obligation to annihilate the forces that had unleashed such\ndepravity.\n  Ironically, the United Nations was conceived in the aftermath of the\nHolocaust, precisely to stand behind the civilized nations of the world\nwhen the forces of evil threatened.\n  Tragically, it has become grotesquely perverted. UNRWA's staff\nactively participated in the attack of October 7, and its ICC has now\nbecome a kangaroo court, waging lawfare against Israel's wartime\nleaders.\n  The ICC has thus made a mockery of every hope and dream that gave\nbirth to the United Nations and has declared by its own obscene acts to\nbe, itself, a threat to world peace, international order, and the rule\nof law.\n  I wholeheartedly support this bill, sanctioning anyone who gives it\naid and comfort in pursuing its twisted agenda.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas\n(Mr. Weber).\n  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my\nfellow Texan calling for sanctions on the International Criminal Court\nofficials who dare to target U.S. citizens or our allies, especially\nour ally, Israel.\n  Mr. Speaker, the ICC is nothing more than a kangaroo court. Their\nabsolute\n\n[[Page H72]]\n\nblind obsession in pursuing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\nnotwithstanding Hamas' unspeakable atrocities reveals the ICC's true\nloyalties. Their actions signal a dangerous complicity with terrorist\ngroups, like Hamas, as well as others I might add.\n  The ICC's ignorance of reality disqualifies them from passing\njudgment on those defending themselves against pure evil. I can't say\nthat strongly enough: against pure evil. It is that pure and simple.\nThe ICC doesn't get it.\n  I have been to Israel since the horrific October 7 attacks, Mr.\nSpeaker. On the other hand, the ICC has not only not witnessed\nfirsthand, as I have, the devastation and terror inflicted on innocent\nlives, they have not been there.\n  Our message is clear: The ICC is a disgrace. It is a sham, and its\nofficials need to find real jobs. They have no authority to target\nAmericans or our allies, especially Israel, and we won't stand for it,\nMr. Speaker.\n  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to passing this bill and encouraging the\nSenate to pass it in time for President Trump to sign it on day one.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from\nArizona (Mr. Biggs).\n  Mr. BIGGS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, neither the United States nor\nIsrael recognize the legitimacy of the ICC. We are not members. The ICC\nhas no authority to violate the sovereignty of either of those nations.\n  This bill is essential for protecting American citizens,\nservicemembers, our allies, especially Israel, from these politically\nmotivated, punitive prosecutions by the ICC.\n  Israel and its leaders have an inherent right to defend themselves\nagainst these terrorist attacks that occurred from Hamas, and they get\nto also attempt to rescue these hostages, but the ICC's attempts to\ninterfere with Israel's self-defense and issue arrest warrants for the\nPrime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and their minister of\ndefense, undermines justice.\n  As the only Member of Congress who actually attended the Rome\nConference that formulated the ICC document in the summer of 1998, I\ncan attest that the ICC is hopelessly biased and is illegitimate. It\nclaims authority it does not have. It attempts to claim jurisdiction\nand issue sanctions against Israel as we could have predicted, and many\nof us did who were at that conference watching this ICC form.\n  The ICC is an institution without a mandate from the international\ncommunity, and the ICC must understand that the United States will not\nallow its overreach to harm U.S. citizens or our allies.\n\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  Mr. Speaker, just for the record, I just want the record to reflect\nthat I remember hearing widespread support from many of my Republican\ncolleagues when the ICC issued a warrant against Vladimir Putin for the\nkidnapping of Ukrainian children, as well as when they issued a warrant\nagainst Bashir for genocide in Sudan.\n  I guess what we are hearing here is that we want to pick and choose\non their side how we are going to react to the ICC based on what they\ndo. I mean, the bottom line is this is the beginning of a process. It\nis not the end of a process.\n  This bill will do nothing to help get the release of our hostages,\nincluding those Americans who are held hostage, and it will isolate us\nwithin the world community, especially with many of our allies.\n  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I remind my friends across the aisle that\nAmericans are being held and tortured. Get with the American team, and\nget in the way of those that are getting in our way.\n  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.\nMiller).\n  Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the gentleman\nfrom Massachusetts is well out of his depth when it comes to military\nwarfare and how to conduct an operation. I will let that speak for\nitself.\n  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this legislation. In\nNovember of 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest\nwarrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former\nIsraeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on baseless and reprehensible\ncharges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.\n  These charges are not only morally indefensible, but a blatant bias\nof justice. Israel does not deliberately target civilians as terrorists\nharbor them in mosques, churches, in schools, hospitals, and so many\nmore. The Israeli Government has taken unprecedented steps to minimize\ncivilian harm during conflicts, a commitment that is unparalleled by\nany other nation facing terrorists.\n  The acquisition that Israel uses starvation as a weapon of war is a\nblatant lie, ignoring the immense humanitarian aid Israel has provided\nto Gaza despite ongoing attacks.\n  This illegitimate attack on Israel emboldens terrorist organizations\nlike Hamas. Both President Biden and President Trump have rightly\ncondemned these charges, recognizing their destructive implications.\nThis critical legislation, which has previously passed this body with\nstrong bipartisan support sends a clear and unequivocal message: The\nUnited States will not tolerate the ICC's abuse of power against our\nallies or our citizens.\n  Once again, the ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States of\nAmerica or the people of Israel. They need to call this what it is:\nanti-Semitism. That is what this is. That is what the ICC is going\nafter, and that is what you are condoning, from the gentleman from\nMassachusetts, and I see the support on the other side of the aisle\nwith all your colleagues sitting next to you fighting right alongside.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  Mr. Speaker, two things to the gentleman who just spoke: The reason\nwhy my colleagues are not here is because the Republicans scheduled\nthis debate during President Carter's funeral, which I find to be\nincredibly disappointing given President Carter's stature in this\ncountry and his commitment to human rights.\n  To the chairman of the committee, I was a little bit startled when he\nsaid get with the American team; because we have a disagreement, that\nsomehow I am not with the American team. Last time I checked, we are\nstill a democracy, at least for the time being. You can have\ndisagreements on this issue, and we can still respect each other's\npoint of view.\n  If I thought for one second that this bill that we are debating today\nwould help get the release of the hostages and the American hostages, I\nwould be with you, but it won't. It complicates things even further,\nand it isolates us in the world community at a time, quite frankly,\nwhen we need allies, and we need everybody working to try to resolve\nthe conflict in the Middle East, to get all the hostages released, to\nensure that Israel has its security, and to ensure that the\nPalestinians have a future, as well.\n  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman across the aisle is right. We\nneed everybody working to get hostages home to get this resolved. That\nmeans not giving an iota of recognition to kangaroo courts, like the\nICC, who are trying to prevent Israeli military success, who are\nconducting their brand of anti-Semitism against Israeli leaders,\npreventing Americans and our allies from being returned home.\n\n  Again, Israel is the tip of the spear in bringing American hostages\nhome, and anybody who gets in their way is getting in our way.\n  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.\n  THE SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bost). The gentleman from Florida has 10\nminutes remaining. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 16\\1/2\\ minutes\nremaining.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, since I have 10 minutes remaining, I am going\nto sit here in silence for 2 minutes and see if my colleague from Texas\nshows up.\n  THE SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman must remain behind the mike.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, that is a good lesson. Thanks. I will remain\nstanding here.\n  Mr. Speaker, it appears we will have no more speakers, and I reserve\nthe balance of my time.\n\n[[Page H73]]\n\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.\n  Mr. Speaker, as I close debate, I want to reiterate my opposition to\nthis misguided legislation. The International Criminal Court exists to\nhold the world accountable to prevent atrocities and to serve as a\nreminder that no one is above the law.\n  Abandoning the ICC, as H.R. 23 proposes, undermines our values,\nundermines our alliances, and undermines our credibility on the world\nstage.\n  This is a moment to reaffirm our commitment to human rights, to\ninternational law, and to the partnerships that have defined American\nleadership, and this bill fails that test.\n  By sanctioning officials of the ICC and anyone who has done business\nwith them, this bill would have a chilling effect on America's work to\nsupport human rights and rule of law around the world.\n  It would hamper the ICC's efforts to prosecute serious atrocities\nthat have wrecked lives and destabilized countries in many places\naround the world, from Ukraine to Uganda to Darfur.\n  NGOs would be chilled from sharing evidence of the grave crimes\ncommitted in these places. Many of us celebrated in March of 2023 when\nthe ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and another\nsenior Russian official for abducting thousands of Ukrainian children.\n\n                              {time}  1030\n\n  Mr. Speaker, Congress even passed legislation to enable the United\nStates to provide financial support to and share information with the\nICC to investigate and prosecute Putin and his regime for his heinous\ncrimes in Ukraine. The bill we are considering today would undermine\nthat work and rob it of its legitimacy.\n  If passed, this misguided legislation would bluntly curtail our\nability to engage the ICC, to advance our interests in supporting\njustice and accountability, and, crucially, to share relevant\ninformation with our partners and allies.\n  Speaking of our allies, this bill is so absurdly broad that it would\nsanction our own allies. Read the bill. Our allies would be sanctioned\nfor supporting the ICC if this were to pass.\n  The largest funders of the ICC are America's closest allies: the\nU.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan. As drafted, the leaders of these\ncountries would be sanctioned for providing material assistance to the\nICC. That is truly nuts. It doesn't make any sense to me.\n  The legislative bodies of these countries could also be sanctioned\nfor appropriating funds for the ICC. By some interpretations,\ninterparliamentary travel to Europe could become a sanctionable\nactivity.\n  Did anybody think this through? Is sanctioning the leaders of our\nclosest friends and allies really the best we can do here?\n  Not only that, this sanctions over 900 members from approximately 100\ncountries at the court, from judges and prosecutors to administrative\nstaff, including nationals of close U.S. allies and partners who\ncollectively work to prosecute war criminals all around the globe.\n  The language in this bill is so broad that even cafeteria workers and\njanitors and their families could be construed as having supported or\n``materially assisted'' in these prosecutions by providing services to\nthe ICC. This is nuts.\n  Mr. Speaker, what would happen next? I can tell you. American\ncompanies would be banned from doing business with the ICC if its top\nofficials are sanctioned, and their Chinese competitors would rush in\nto fill the gap. Not only does this undermine America's interests, but\nit bolsters Russia and helps China.\n  Mr. Speaker, this is a bad bill. Not only is it a bad bill, but\nnobody had any opportunity at all to amend it. This has been brought to\nthe floor under a completely closed process. We can't address all the\nfaults that I have just outlined. We can't address them because of the\nway this majority is bringing this bill to the floor. Zero amendments\nare allowed because Republicans brought it up under a closed rule--\nagain, another wasted opportunity.\n  Mr. Speaker, we can do better. In my opinion, behind-the-scenes\ndiplomacy with the International Criminal Court, alongside our\npartners, is far more likely to yield a result than the approach put\nforward by this bill.\n  Mr. Speaker, I oppose this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to\noppose this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, the statement of the gentleman from the other\nside is as untrue now as it was when he gave the same speech a few\nmonths ago on this very floor.\n  I would say the message is clear to everybody: Don't get in America's\nway as we are trying to work with our allies to get our Americans home\nand our allies home.\n  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.\nJackson).\n  Mr. JACKSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding\ntime.\n  Mr. Speaker, on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists brutally murdered\nand kidnapped hundreds of innocent Israelis. Over a year later, Hamas\nstill holds hostages--some dead but many alive.\n  In response to these truly horrific attacks, Israel has defended\nitself from Hamas and other Iranian terrorist proxies.\n  I would have expected the international community to unequivocally\ncondemn these barbaric terrorist attacks by Hamas and support Israel's\nfight for survival. However, corrupt international organizations like\nthe International Criminal Court have issued arrest warrants against\nIsraeli officials for simply trying to defend themselves and defend\ntheir country.\n  The ICC's anti-Semitism speaks volumes. This is an unacceptable\nattack against our greatest ally, and the United States must make it\nclear that those who participate in these illegitimate prosecutions\nfrom the ICC are subject to the strongest possible sanctions.\n  America needs leadership, and this is where we need it. Mr. Speaker,\nI urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with Israel\nand to vote for H.R. 23.\n  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.\n  Mr. Speaker, if the United States of America stands for anything, we\nneed to stand out loud and foursquare for human rights. That means we\nhave to hold ourselves accountable, our allies accountable, and our\nadversaries accountable when they don't live up to those standards.\n  The International Criminal Court is there to hold countries\naccountable and to hold entities accountable when they commit human\nrights crimes. They are there to investigate, and they are there to\nprosecute.\n  For us in Congress to get involved in sanctioning the ICC because we\ndon't like the fact that they are pointing out some of the serious\nissues in Gaza committed by one of our closest allies, for us to\nsanction them because of that, undermines the court, undermines our\ncredibility in the world, and undermines our credibility on human\nrights. Why would we do that?\n  This bill does nothing to help get the hostages released. It does\nnothing at all. Again, let me be clear: All of us should be saying as\nloudly as we possibly can that all the hostages should be released\nimmediately and unconditionally. They have arrest warrants out for the\nleadership of Hamas precisely because of what happened on October 7.\nThe ICC wants to hold them accountable.\n  What we are doing here doesn't make any sense to me. It doesn't make\nany sense to me. Again, the bill as it is written is so flawed. If it\nwent through regular order, if you brought it to the Rules Committee\nand we made a few amendments in order, we might be able to fix some of\nthe flaws I pointed out.\n  Instead, keeping to the tradition of this Republican leadership,\nwhich oversaw the closest Congress in the history of the United States\nin the last session, I guess we are going to expect more of the same--\ntake it or leave it, my way or the highway.\n  This is about a sound bite, I guess, more than it is about trying to\nachieve peace in the Middle East, trying to get the release of our\nhostages, or trying to uphold a high standard of human rights. I find\nthis really disappointing. I really do.\n  Again, I said at the opening of my statement to the new chairman that\nI\n\n[[Page H74]]\n\nhope we can find areas where we can work together to help improve the\nquality of life for people all around the world. This bill is not going\nto do that.\n  I think we can do so much better here. This is not about whether you\nsupport Israel or not. This is a whole different discussion that we are\nhaving here today. This is about whether you want to delegitimize the\nInternational Criminal Court, a court, by the way, which many\nRepublicans supported when it went after al-Bashir in Darfur and Putin\nfor kidnapping children.\n  Again, we are entering a very dangerous time when we are bringing\nlegislation to the floor to demagogue issues rather than to be\nconstructive. We have to take a deep breath around here because some of\nthe stuff that has come to this floor is really beneath this\ninstitution.\n  Again, I regret that we are doing this here today. I urge everybody,\nand I hope some of my Republican colleagues will join with us, to\noppose this legislation. We can do better. We need to do better.\n  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.\n  Mr. Speaker, this bill sends an incredibly important message across\nthe globe when we make this law: Do not get in the way of America or\nour allies trying to bring our people home. Do not get in our way. You\nwill be given no quarter. Again, you will certainly not be welcomed to\nAmerican soil.\n  This bill is even more urgent today than when it was first passed\nback in June of last year. In June, the ICC's prosecutor had only just\nrequested warrants. The warrants had not yet been issued or approved.\nThere was still time for the ICC to abandon this shameful effort.\nInstead, the ICC's attempt to obstruct Israel's right to defend itself\nhas only prolonged the war and prevented the release of American\nhostages by boosting the morale of Hamas. If you are boosting the\nmorale of Hamas, you are on the other team.\n  In November, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber approved the arrest\nwarrants. We have to pass this bill today to prevent this travesty from\nmoving any further and to deter any more illegitimate actions by this\nkangaroo court to halt or stall the military success of our allies\ntrying to bring hostages home, American, Israeli, and others.\n  Mr. Speaker, for that reason, I call on every single one of my\ncolleagues to put America first by voting for this legislation today,\nand I yield back the balance of my time.\n\n  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, and still I rise. I rise today as a\nproud American and a staunch believer in the noble ideals this country\nwas founded upon. This country, which was built on the idea of equality\nand justice, today is a leader on the world stage that can boast of its\ncommitment and success in spreading these values. We have established a\nworld order based on the rule of law, a commitment to advancing human\nrights, and deference to international institutions.\n  Yet, flagrantly contravening all of these principals, the House of\nRepresentatives has before it a bill that would punish the\nInternational Criminal Court (ICC) as it seeks justice for the\nPalestinean people. This legislation explicitly imposes sanctions on\nthe ICC for ``any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute\nany protected person of the United States and its allies''.\n  I love my country, and I truly believe that at our core, Americans do\nwant global peace. For this reason, I staunchly oppose these efforts to\nundermine the international order merely because the agents of that\norder are taking legal action against one of our allies. Many of our\nclosest allies are intimately involved with the funding and proceedings\nof the ICC, meaning they would be exposed to the sanctions created by\nthis bill. This includes many of the United States' closest allies,\nsuch as Germany, France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, where the\ncurrent Chief Prosecuter of the ICC is from.\n  This partisan bill is evidently not concerned about protecting all\nAmerican allies, who would face severe sanctions should this\nlegislation pass into law, but rather one American ally in particular.\nWhile Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure the most dire of\ncircumstances and as their death toll for children only continues to\ntick upward, this Congress is instead intent on protecting Israeli\npoliticians from scrutiny at the expense of maintaining the\ninternational order at large that we helped establish. I continue to\nask for mercy for the Palestinian people and hope that all people of\nthe region, both Israeli and Palestinian, receive the justice that they\ndeserve.\n  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I wish to underscore my strong\nsupport of H.R. 23, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, and\nhighlight the immediate need to sanction the International Criminal\nCourt (ICC) for its dangerous abuse of power and for the United States\nto repudiate these actions.\n  The ICC's outrageous issuance of arrest warrants for Prime Minister\nNetanyahu and Minister Gallant is a grotesquely bad decision by a court\nthat is corrupted by blatant antisemitism.\n  Israel's right to defend itself from this brutal invasion is\nabsolute. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in the\npast that he would never allow a second holocaust--nor should we.\n  Antisemitism is at the root of Hamas violence against Israel and\nevery Jewish man woman, and child, and is explicitly expressed in\nHamas' 1988 Charter which demands the absolute destruction of the state\nof Israel and proclaims: ``Israel will exist and will continue to exist\nuntil Islam will obliterate it.''\n  In its 2017 charter, Hamas reiterates its goal of wiping Israel off\nthe face of the earth: ``There is no alternative to a fully sovereign\nPalestinian State on the entire national Palestinian soil, with\nJerusalem as its capital.''\n  Mr. Speaker, the ICC's actions support Hamas' explicitly antisemitic\nand genocidal campaign of terror against Israel, and Congress must\nrespond in the most forceful way possible.\n  The ICC is a rogue actor on the world stage, and the United States\nmust have a more effective long-term approach for how to respond to it.\n  Their latest action is a further manifestation of the same\nantisemitism that is rampant at the United Nations and related\ninternational organizations. Last Congress alone, I chaired four\ncongressional hearings on how they are absolutely infiltrated by\nantisemitic personnel who on a daily basis go after Israel with such\ncruelty.\n  Israel needs the ability to defend itself--and they need friends and\npartners who will stand beside them.\n  It is long-past time the United States held international\norganizations accountable for their antisemitism and their corruption.\nFurthermore, it is incumbent upon the United States to use its full\nvoice to support Israel and ensure international organizations and\nvenues are not used to promote antisemitism and the persecution of the\nJewish people, and encourage our allies to do the same.\n  I thank Congressman Roy for introducing this legislation,\nunderscoring this House's resolve to stand by an ally.\n  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 23.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.\n  Pursuant to House Resolution 5, the previous question is ordered on\nthe bill.\n  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.\n  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was\nread the third time.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on passage of the bill.\n  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that\nthe ayes appeared to have it.\n  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.\n  The yeas and nays were ordered.\n  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further\nproceedings on this question will be postponed.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2025-01-09-pt1-PgH67-6"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 29.450829839333892, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}