[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E35]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ILLEGITIMATE COURT COUNTERACTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. LATEEFAH SIMON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 9, 2025

  Ms. SIMON. Mr. Speaker, Congress should support an impartial 
international criminal justice system to promote accountability and 
justice around the world. Imposing mandatory sanctions and visa 
restrictions on foreign individuals interacting with International 
Criminal Court prosecutors is a broad, dangerous approach, which is why 
I oppose this bill.
  International law is effective only when it applies to actors and 
states regardless of who they are. Weakening and discrediting 
investigations into allegations of war crimes and human rights 
violations undermines peaceful tools of resolving and preventing 
conflicts.
  Taking a blanket approach as proposed in this bill could implicate 
any foreign individual who interacts with the ICC and may even punish 
people like cafeteria workers and janitors for simply doing their jobs. 
Undermining the rule of law and freedom of speech as this bill proposes 
will threaten international justice and accountability. For those 
reasons, I oppose the bill.

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