House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested Republicans will proceed with legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court to warn it against issuing arrest warrants for top Israeli officials despite the White House’s announcement Monday that it opposes that approach.
“The ICC should clearly be sanctioned for its outrageous and unfounded claims of authority,” Mr. Johnson said in an X post. “The White House’s refusal to protect Israelis and Americans is a terrible decision that will set a dangerous precedent.”
The ICC’s chief prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three top Hamas leaders, accusing them of war crimes.
President Biden and lawmakers in both parties have denounced the ICC’s decision to equate Israel and Hamas and said the court should let Israel, as an independent democracy, police itself.
Republicans in the House and Senate have said they are drafting legislation to sanction the ICC and had secured commitments from Secretary of State Antony Blinken during hearings before the Foreign Affairs committees last week that the Biden administration would consider partnering with them on a legislative response.
“We want this to be signed into law. We don’t want it to be a messaging bill,” House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul, Texas Republican, said after his panel’s hearing with Mr. Blinken. “Because otherwise you have no deterrence against the ICC.”
But on Monday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the Biden administration would not support legislation to sanction the ICC.
“We don’t believe that sanctions against the ICC is the right approach here,” he said. “Look, we obviously don’t believe the ICC has jurisdiction. We certainly don’t support these arrest warrants. We’ve said that before. We don’t believe, though, that sanctioning the ICC is the answer.”
Mr. Kirby did not specify an alternative approach.
The White House’s position will likely influence most congressional Democrats to oppose sanctions legislation as well, although certainly some could break from their party if House Republicans bring a sanctions bill to a vote.
However, it would be unlikely to go anywhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate with the White House advocating against it.
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland Democrat and Foreign Relations Committee chairman, said last week he would be talking to Biden administration officials about the best way to respond when asked about potential sanctions or another legislative response.
Other Democrats were open to sanctions but some suggested a diplomatic pressure campaign may be more effective in getting the ICC to drop the pursuit of the arrest warrants, which still have to be considered by a three-judge panel.
“Right now I’m focusing on what we can do through our public advocacy,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, told The Washington Times last week.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.