The ICC Act was reintroduced this week after it passed the House in June last year. At that time, 42 Democrats joined 205 Republicans in voting in favor of the bill, and 27 members did not vote.

On Thursday, the bill passed 243-140 with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) voting present, and 45 Democrats joined 198 Republicans to approve the legislation.

Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Haley Stevens (D-MI) flipped their votes from no in June 2024 to yes on Thursday, and Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) voted yes after not voting in June. Ten new members voted in favor of the bill, as well.

If approved by the Senate and signed into law, the ICC Act would impose sanctions on International Criminal Court officials who seek to go after U.S. citizens or allies, including Israel. It also condemns the international body for pursuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The ICC is an illegitimate body that has no business interfering with our sovereignty or that of our allies,” Roy said in a statement. “Now it is engaged in a shameful lawfare campaign against Prime Minister Netanyahu for doing his duty to protect his fellow citizens from Hamas in the wake of the barbaric October 7th attacks.”

“While I have full confidence that President Trump will stand for Israel with the strength and moral clarity that Biden has sorely lacked, this bill will ensure that no future administration after him will be able to give the ICC a free pass to attack our allies like this,” Roy added.

Thursday’s passage marked the second piece of House legislation in the new Congress following Tuesday’s bipartisan passage of the Laken Riley Act, an immigration bill named for a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant.

The ICC Act is part of a slate of bills that, in the 118th Congress, were GOP messaging tools unlikely to become law thanks to a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House. With an incoming GOP trifecta, Republican bills like the Laken Riley Act, the SAVE Act, and the ICC Act, among others, have a chance at getting to the finish line.

The 12 fast-tracked bills came up in the House rules package passed last week after the swearing-in of new and incumbent members, as well as the speakership election. Many Democrats have blasted the bills as “empty” and unlikely to solve the crux of the issues, particularly legislation that deals with immigration and the border.

The ICC Act also comes out of House Republicans’ staunch support of Israel in its war against Hamas, a conflict that has divided the Democratic caucus as some progressives have blasted Netanyahu for his war tactics and the treatment of Gaza civilians.

The legislation now heads to the Senate where Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has pledged to bring it to the floor for a vote in the coming weeks. Thune said the bill will “support our ally Israel – something my friends across the aisle seem to struggle with from time to time.”

Massie explained his present vote in a post to X, noting that the House “only did one thing today”: protect Netanyahu.

“The ICC has no authority over the United States, but we should not get involved in disputes between other countries. Focus on [America]!” Massie wrote.