On paper, House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday that would place sanctions on the International Criminal Court over the ICC’s proposed charges for Israeli officials who, the court says, have committed war crimes in Gaza. But in practice, the bill was more of a political exercise.
The House passed the bill 247-155, with all 205 Republicans and 42 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation and 155 Democrats voting no. While most Democrats stayed with their leaders to oppose the bill, the 42 Democrats who broke with their party were a significant faction. And even though the measure is now on its way to the Senate, the House vote may very well be the final action on the bill — and the entirety of the point.
At least, it was the entirety of the point for some. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, said he tried to produce a bill that could actually become law.