,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #hee  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,february #ab1      
#bjbj,ms4 ,omar submitted the following 
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 and in 
addition to the ,committee on the       
,judiciary1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,,resolution  ,expressing the sense of  
the ,house of ,representatives that the 
,united ,states should ratify the ,rome 
,statute and join the ,international    
,criminal ,court4  ,whereas crimes of   
genocide1 crimes against humanity1 and  
war crimes are uniquely heinous and of  
global concern2 ,whereas the ,united    
,states has been a global leader in the 
field of international criminal justice 
for atrocity crimes since the ,nuremberg
 ,trials2 ,whereas the fundamental      
principles of the rule of law and       

accountability for atrocity crimes are  
central to the ,united ,states values   
and interests at home and abroad2       
,whereas the ,united ,states has        
demonstrated its commitment to these    
values and interests by tangibly        
supporting numerous domestic1           
international1 and hybrid courts for    
atrocity crimes1 including the          
,international ,criminal ,tribunal for  
the ,former ,yugoslavia1 the            
,international ,criminal ,tribunal for  
,rwanda1 the ,special ,court for ,sierra
 ,leone1 the ,extraordinary ,chambers in
 the ,courts of ,cambodia1 the          
,extraordinary ,african ,chambers1 and  
the ,special ,tribunal for ,lebanon2    
,whereas the ,united ,states further    
demonstrates this commitment by being   
party to the ,convention on the         
,prevention and ,punishment of the      
,crime of ,genocide1 the ,united        
,nations ,convention ,against ,torture1 
and the ,geneva ,conventions2 ,whereas  
the ,united ,states further demonstrates

 this commitment by the existence of    
offices at the ,department of ,justice  
and the ,department of ,homeland        
,security that are dedicated to pursuing
 and apprehending the perpetrators of   
atrocity crimes1 as well as the         
existence of a dedicated ,office of     
,global ,criminal ,justice at the       
,department of ,state2 ,whereas the     
,united ,states signed the ,rome        
,statute of the ,international ,criminal
 ,court on ,december #ca1 #bjjj1 but has
 yet to ratify the statute and join the 
,court as a full member2 ,whereas the   
,international ,criminal ,court is an   
important institution in the global     
fight against impunity for war crimes1  
crimes against humanity1 and genocide2  
,whereas the ,international ,criminal   
,court operates on the principle of     
complementarity and as a court of last  
resort2 ,whereas because of these       
principles1 cases are not admissible    
before the ,international ,criminal     
,court where they are being genuinely   

investigated or prosecuted before       
domestic courts2 ,whereas despite the   
,united ,states not being a member of   
the ,court1 administrations of both     
political parties have recognized its   
utility for the national interests of   
the ,united ,states2 ,whereas only by   
ratifying the ,rome ,statute and        
becoming a member of the ,international 
,criminal ,court can the ,united ,states
 credibly shape the ,court's activities 
and priorities2 ,whereas the vast       
majority of the ,united ,states oldest  
and closest allies are state parties to 
the ,international ,criminal ,court2 and
 ,whereas it is in line with ,american  
values1 interests1 and proud history as 
a global leader in the fight against    
impunity and for justice that the       
,united ,states becomes a full member of
 the ,international ,criminal ,court3   
,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that it is the 
sense of the ,house of ,representatives 
that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states ,senate 
should ratify the ,rome ,statute2  7#b7 

any visa restrictions put in place by   
the ,department of ,state on            
,international ,criminal ,court         
personnel should be lifted2 and  7#c7   
the ,united ,states should use its      
voice1 vote1 and influence in bilateral 
and multilateral relationships and      
institutions to encourage foreign       
countries that are not party to the     
,international ,criminal ,court to join 
the ,international ,criminal ,court4