Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]
ID: R000614
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 54 - 45. Record Vote Number: 22. (CR S410)
January 28, 2025
Introduced
Committee Review
Floor Action
Passed House
Senate Review
📍 Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
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4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the United States Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose its true nature.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act (HR 23) is a thinly veiled attempt to shield American and Israeli officials from accountability for war crimes and human rights abuses. The bill's primary objective is to intimidate the International Criminal Court (ICC) into dropping its investigations and prosecutions of protected persons, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill imposes sanctions on any foreign person or entity that aids the ICC in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting American or Israeli officials. These sanctions include property blocking, visa revocation, and penalties for violating the act. The legislation also reaffirms the bipartisan American Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002, which aimed to protect U.S. military personnel from international prosecution.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The ICC, its officials, and any foreign persons or entities that cooperate with the court are directly affected by this bill. Indirectly, the legislation impacts victims of war crimes and human rights abuses who seek justice through the ICC. American and Israeli officials, particularly those implicated in alleged war crimes, stand to benefit from this legislation.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a blatant attempt to undermine international law and the rule of law. By threatening sanctions against anyone who cooperates with the ICC, the United States is effectively trying to strong-arm the court into dropping its investigations. This sets a dangerous precedent, as it allows powerful nations to dictate what constitutes "legitimate" justice.
In reality, this bill is a symptom of a deeper disease: the corrupting influence of power and the willingness of politicians to sacrifice principles for short-term gains. The sponsors of this bill are either grossly ignorant of international law or deliberately trying to subvert it. Either way, their actions demonstrate a staggering lack of integrity.
In medical terms, this legislation is akin to a patient with a severe case of " politician-itis" – a condition characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a complete disregard for facts, and a willingness to sacrifice the well-being of others for personal gain. The treatment? A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong immune system (i.e., critical thinking), and a commitment to upholding the principles of justice and accountability.
In conclusion, HR 23 is a shameful example of legislative malpractice. It's a cynical attempt to shield powerful individuals from accountability, dressed in the language of patriotism and national security. Don't be fooled – this bill is a poison pill that undermines the very fabric of international law and human rights.
Related Topics
đź’° Campaign Finance Network
Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21]
ID: M001199
Top Contributors
10
Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10]
ID: M001157
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2]
ID: C001120
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3]
ID: H001077
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]
ID: F000459
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1]
ID: F000475
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6]
ID: C001118
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]
ID: B001302
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19]
ID: A000375
Top Contributors
10
Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9]
ID: H001093
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 42 nodes and 45 connections
Total contributions: $175,108
Top Donors - Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]
Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount
Project 2025 Policy Matches
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. Higher similarity scores indicate stronger thematic connections.
Introduction
— 548 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise PRIORITIZING THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY Ordered liberty is at risk when our citizens lack physical safety, when career criminals do not fear the law, when foreign cartels move narcotics and illegal aliens into our nation at will, and when political leaders call citizens “domestic terrorists” for exercising their constitutional rights. The Department of Justice—in partnership with state and local partners—must recommit in both word and deed to protecting public safety. The overwhelming majority of crimes in the United States are properly handled at the state and local levels,19 but the DOJ can provide critical technical support for local law enforcement and play a critical agenda-setting role. With respect to the Department’s core responsibilities—enforcing our immigration laws, combating domestic and international criminal enterprises, protecting federal civil rights, and combating foreign espionage—the federal government has primary authority and, accordingly, accountability. The evidence shows that the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice has failed to protect law-abiding citizens and has ignored its most basic obligations. It has become at once utterly unserious and dangerously politicized. Prosecution and charging decisions are infused with racial and partisan political double standards.20 Immigration laws are ignored.21 The FBI harasses protesting parents (branded “domestic terrorists” by some partisans) while working diligently to shut down politically disfavored speech on the pretext of its being “misinformation” or “disin- formation.”22 A department that prosecutes FACE Act cases while ignoring dozens of violent attacks on pregnancy care centers and/or the coordinated violation of laws that prohibit attempts to intimidate Supreme Court Justices by parading out- side of their homes23 has clearly lost its way. A department that has twice engaged in covert domestic election interference and propaganda operations—the Russian collusion hoax in 2016 and the Hunter Biden laptop suppression in 2020—is a threat to the Republic.24 l Restoring the department’s focus on public safety and a culture of respect for the rule of law is a gargantuan task that will involve at minimum four overriding actions: l Restoring the FBI’s integrity. l Renewing the DOJ’s focus on violent crime. l Dismantling domestic and international criminal enterprises. l Pursuing a national security agenda aimed at external state and non-state actors, not U.S. citizens exercising their constitutional rights. — 549 — Department of Justice RESTORING THE FBI’S INTEGRITY The FBI was founded in 1908 to “tackle national crime and security issues” when “there was hardly any systematic way of enforcing the law across this now broad landscape of America.”25 It best serves the American people when it dedicates its resources and energies to attacking violent crime,26 criminal organizations,27 child predators,28 cyber-crime, and other uniquely federal interests.29 Revelations regarding the FBI’s role in the Russia hoax of 2016, Big Tech collu- sion, and suppression of Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020 strongly suggest that the FBI is completely out of control. To protect the Constitution, fight crime effectively, and protect the nation from foreign adversaries, the next conservative Adminis- tration should begin to restore the FBI’s domestic reputation and integrity and enhance its effectiveness in meeting actual foreign threats. To do so, the next con- servative Administration should: l Conduct an immediate, comprehensive review of all major active FBI investigations and activities and terminate any that are unlawful or contrary to the national interest.30 This is an enormous task, but it is necessary to re-earn the American people’s trust in the FBI and its work. To conduct this review, the department should detail attorney appointees with criminal, national security, or homeland security backgrounds to catalogue any questionable activities and elevate them to appropriate DOJ leadership consistent with the new chain of command (discussed below). The department should also consider issuing a public report of the findings from this review as appropriate. l Align the FBI’s placement within the department and the federal government with its law enforcement and national security purposes. DOJ veterans often opine that the FBI views itself as an independent agency—accountable to no one and on par with the Attorney General in terms of stature—but the fact remains that “[t]he Federal Bureau of Investigation is located in the Department of Justice.”31 It is not independent from the department (just as Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not independent from the Department of Homeland Security) and does not deserve to be treated as if it were. The next conservative Administration should direct the Attorney General to remove the FBI from the Deputy Attorney General’s direct supervision within the department’s organizational chart and instead place it under the general supervision of the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division and the supervision of the Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, as applicable.32 This can be accomplished
Introduction
— 548 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise PRIORITIZING THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY Ordered liberty is at risk when our citizens lack physical safety, when career criminals do not fear the law, when foreign cartels move narcotics and illegal aliens into our nation at will, and when political leaders call citizens “domestic terrorists” for exercising their constitutional rights. The Department of Justice—in partnership with state and local partners—must recommit in both word and deed to protecting public safety. The overwhelming majority of crimes in the United States are properly handled at the state and local levels,19 but the DOJ can provide critical technical support for local law enforcement and play a critical agenda-setting role. With respect to the Department’s core responsibilities—enforcing our immigration laws, combating domestic and international criminal enterprises, protecting federal civil rights, and combating foreign espionage—the federal government has primary authority and, accordingly, accountability. The evidence shows that the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice has failed to protect law-abiding citizens and has ignored its most basic obligations. It has become at once utterly unserious and dangerously politicized. Prosecution and charging decisions are infused with racial and partisan political double standards.20 Immigration laws are ignored.21 The FBI harasses protesting parents (branded “domestic terrorists” by some partisans) while working diligently to shut down politically disfavored speech on the pretext of its being “misinformation” or “disin- formation.”22 A department that prosecutes FACE Act cases while ignoring dozens of violent attacks on pregnancy care centers and/or the coordinated violation of laws that prohibit attempts to intimidate Supreme Court Justices by parading out- side of their homes23 has clearly lost its way. A department that has twice engaged in covert domestic election interference and propaganda operations—the Russian collusion hoax in 2016 and the Hunter Biden laptop suppression in 2020—is a threat to the Republic.24 l Restoring the department’s focus on public safety and a culture of respect for the rule of law is a gargantuan task that will involve at minimum four overriding actions: l Restoring the FBI’s integrity. l Renewing the DOJ’s focus on violent crime. l Dismantling domestic and international criminal enterprises. l Pursuing a national security agenda aimed at external state and non-state actors, not U.S. citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
Introduction
— 150 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 1. Congress should unequivocally authorize state and local law enforcement to participate in immigration and border security actions in compliance with Arizona v. United States.11 2. Congress should require compliance with immigration detainers to the maximum extent consistent with the Tenth Amendment and set financial disincentives for jurisdictions that implement either official or unofficial sanctuary policies. l Prosecutorial discretion. Congress should restrict the authority for prosecutorial discretion to eliminate it as a “catch-all” excuse for limiting immigration enforcement. l Mandatory detention. Congress should eliminate ambiguous discretionary language in Title 8 that aliens “may” be detained and clarify that aliens “shall” be detained. This language, which contrasts with other “shall detain” language in statute, creates unhelpful ambiguity and allows the executive branch to ignore the will of Congress. Regulations l Withdraw Biden Administration regulations and reissue new regulations in the following areas: 1. Credible Fear/Asylum Jurisdiction for Border Crossers. 2. Public Charge. l T-Visa and U-Visa reform. Unless and until T and U visas are repealed, each program needs to be reformed to ensure that only legitimate victims of trafficking and crimes who are actively providing significant material assistance to law enforcement are eligible for spots in the queue. l Repeal TPS designations. l H-1B reform. Transform the program into an elite mechanism exclusively to bring in the “best and brightest” at the highest wages while simultaneously ensuring that U.S. workers are not being disadvantaged by the program. H-1B is a means only to supplement the U.S. economy and to keep companies competitive, not to depress U.S. labor markets artificially in certain industries.
Showing 3 of 5 policy matches
About These Correlations
Policy matches are calculated using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text. A score of 60% or higher indicates meaningful thematic overlap. This does not imply direct causation or intent, but highlights areas where legislation aligns with Project 2025 policy objectives.