GOP Wants Senate to Vote on ICC Sanctions Bill

(Paul Van Beets/Dreamstime)

Senate Republicans want Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to put a bill on the floor sanctioning the International Criminal Court for considering an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The bill recently passed the House, with 42 Democrats joining every Republicans voting in favor. Schumer is unlikely to put a vote on the floor as the White House has expressed opposition to sanctioning the ICC.

“Our members are very, very much wanting to go on offense on that,” Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. “So, yes, we’d love to get that taken up over here.”

The bill has divided Democrats, many who oppose the recommendation that Israeli and Hamas leaders should be charged for their actions since the Oct. 7 attacks, while other Democrats oppose Netanyahu’s military response in Gaza.

If passed, the bill would implement travel and financial sanctions on ICC officials. The sanctions could be removed by the president if the ICC stops arrest warrants or investigations against U.S. officials or allies.

Schumer has been using floor time to schedule “show votes” to help boost embattled incumbents and divide Republicans on key issues.

The bills have no chance of passing but are designed to get senators on the record about where they stand on key issues. Last month, Schumer had a vote on a border security deal that failed, but allowed vulnerable incumbents like Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., to boast they voted to protect the border.

The Senate will be voting Wednesday on the Right to Contraception Act, and Schumer is planning to schedule a vote later this month on legislation protecting IVF. Other show votes are planned, Schumer said.

“He’s the guy that gets to determine what gets to the floor, and it seems like he wants us out of here more than he wants us here,” Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told The Hill. “And when we’re here, it seems he is mostly interested in a summer of show votes rather than anything else.”

Senate Republicans told The Hill they remain unsure what their messaging on the sanctions bill will be.

“I am not sure what we’re going to expect, to be honest,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told The Hill.