US Senate blocks bill to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Legislation that would have imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court in protest of its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister was blocked in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

The chamber voted 54-45 in favor of the bill, meaning the measure, which had already passed the Republican-majority House of Representatives, could not get the 60 “yes” votes needed in the 100-member Senate to advance.

The vote was largely along party lines, with almost every Democrat and independent voting against. Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to advance the measure. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff did not vote.

The “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act” would have imposed sanctions on any foreigner who investigates, arrests, detains or prosecutes U.S. citizens or those of an allied country, including Israel, who are not members of the court.

It passed the House earlier this month 243-140, as 45 Democrats joined Republicans in voting “yes.”

In the Senate, Democrats said they agreed with much of the bill, but said it was too broad, and risked alienating important U.S. allies and imposing sanctions on lower level workers at the court in the Netherlands.

Urging colleagues to vote “no,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused the ICC of having “an anti-Israel bias that cannot be ignored.” However, he said the bill was poorly crafted and also could target U.S. companies, such as those whose products help protect the court from foreign hackers.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chris Reese and Rod Nickel)