S. 493, the “Stop the ICC Act,” would bar any U.S. official from cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on any matter and would prohibit any federal funds from being used to support the ICC or ICC-related activities. The bill specifically targets ICC actions involving Israel and the Palestinian Authority, citing the ICC’s investigation into the “Situation in Palestine” and the court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The bill also seeks to restrict U.S. support for the Palestinian Authority. It states that the ICC investigation and arrest-warrant applications justify existing restrictions on economic support funds for the Palestinian Authority, and it further prohibits the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide support for the Palestinian Authority. In practical terms, the measure would codify and expand limits on U.S. assistance and engagement tied to ICC proceedings and Palestinian Authority conduct.
If enacted, the bill would amend the practical use of foreign assistance and executive branch foreign policy tools by cutting off U.S. cooperation with the ICC and blocking federal funding for ICC operations, including investigations, prosecutions, appeals, and enforcement. It would also reinforce restrictions on economic support funds under the Foreign Assistance Act and related appropriations provisions affecting the Palestinian Authority.
The available context shows no recorded committee debate or votes, so there is no documented bipartisan or public sentiment in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears strongly supportive of Israel and sharply critical of the ICC and the Palestinian Authority, reflecting a confrontational stance toward international criminal proceedings involving Israeli officials. The absence of transcripts or votes means notable opposition cannot be identified from the provided record, though the bill’s broad prohibition on cooperation with the ICC suggests it could be controversial among supporters of international justice mechanisms and U.S. engagement with multilateral institutions.
Impact
The bill would prohibit U.S. cooperation with the ICC, bar federal funding for the court, and restrict certain foreign assistance to the Palestinian Authority. It would affect executive branch foreign policy and appropriations implementation, especially under the Foreign Assistance Act and existing appropriations restrictions tied to ICC-related Palestinian actions.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the materials. The bill text itself reflects a strongly anti-ICC and pro-Israel posture, with the stated purpose of denying support to the ICC and the Palestinian Authority in response to ICC proceedings involving Israeli officials.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s sweeping prohibition on any U.S. cooperation with the ICC, which would go beyond case-specific objections and could conflict with broader U.S. diplomatic or law-enforcement interests. Another likely point of dispute is the restriction on support for the Palestinian Authority, which supporters may view as a response to ICC actions, while critics may see it as an overbroad penalty that could affect foreign assistance and peace-related policy tools. No specific opposing members or arguments are included in the provided record.
Illegitimate Court Counteraction ActThis bill imposes sanctions against foreign persons (individuals and entities) who assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting certain individuals.The bill categorizes as protected persons (1) any U.S. individual, U.S. entity, or person in the United States, unless the United States is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and provides formal consent to ICC jurisdiction; and (2) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident of a U.S. ally that is not a state party to the Rome Statute or has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.If the ICC attempts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against the foreign persons that engaged in or materially assisted in such actions, as well as against foreign persons owned by, controlled by, or acting on behalf of such foreign persons. The President must also apply visa-blocking sanctions to the immediate family members of those sanctioned.Upon enactment, the bill rescinds all funds appropriated for the ICC and prohibits the subsequent use of appropriated funds for the ICC.
Establishes the "Not on our dime!: Ending New York funding of Israeli settler violence act" to prohibit not-for-profit corporations from engaging in unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity
A resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim identity, in the State of Illinois.