Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that President Biden’s vow to withhold weapons from Israel will result in civilian casualties inside Gaza. ((Fox News/Getty Images))
House lawmakers were engaged in bipartisan talks last month to respond to the ICC after chief prosecutor Karim Khan said he would seek arrest warrants against both Israeli and Hamas officials over the war in Gaza. Those talks apparently broke down, however, with the White House's statement being the final nail in the coffin.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, lamented the lack of bipartisanship in crafting the measure. He told Fox News Digital that he had been working with his Democratic counterpart, ranking member Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., on a bipartisan compromise, but that their effort had been shut down by the White House.
"Meeks and I worked out a compromise bill that everybody was happy with and he talked to [House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.]. And I mean, our deal is like, if it's not bipartisan…when we talked to Netanyahu, that's what he wanted – it's kind of worthless," McCaul said.
"They raised it to the White House's attention and they did a complete about-face. And while they were for sanctions previously, now they're against."
IDF CONFIRMS DEATHS OF 4 ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY
Speaker Mike Johnson blamed the White House for the breakdown in ICC response talks (Getty Images)
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital that the bill is still not a partisan effort and called on the Democrat-controlled Senate to take up the bill.
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"By passing our nonpartisan bill to sanction the ICC for absurdly equivocating Israel to Hamas as a war criminal, the House just sent a resounding message to the world that we unapologetically stand with our ally over barbaric terrorists. The question remains: Which side will Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer choose?" Emmer said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer for comment.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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