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. Senate Democrats had sought to negotiate a bipartisan compromise on the bill to shield America’s allies and U.S. companies contracting with the court from getting swept up in sanctions, which are aimed at punishing the ICC’s pursuit of war crimes cases against Israel.
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.
“However, as much as I oppose the ICC bias against Israel, as much as I want to see that institution drastically reformed and reshaped, the bill before us is poorly drafted and deeply problematic.”
Republicans rejected efforts by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to change language in the text that would exempt from sanctions America’s allies and U.S. companies doing business with the court. Schumer said the language change amounted to a “small fix.”
