Jackson Purchase News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed the Senate floor today, expressing his concerns about the Law of the Sea Treaty.

"Unaccountable international judicial juntas have made headlines in recent weeks," McConnell stated.

He criticized the International Criminal Court for its actions against Israeli leaders, describing them as "preposterous arrest warrants" and an attempt to draw a moral equivalence with Hamas terrorists. McConnell then turned his attention to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which recently issued an advisory opinion that he claims seeks to establish an international law requirement to regulate greenhouse gases and create a right of action against wealthy, industrialized nations.

"The New York Times reports that such an opinion is unsurprisingly expected to lead to 'wide-ranging claims for damages against polluting nations,'" he noted. He also mentioned that the UN’s International Court of Justice is involved in this matter.

McConnell referred to those advocating for climate justice as engaging in a "money-grab and a power-grab." He recalled President Reagan's decision not to sign the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and supported the Senate's refusal to ratify it, suggesting it should be called "the ICC of the Sea."

"I know some of my colleagues believe we should ratify this treaty and they mean well. But I would urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to ask themselves if they’re willing to put U.S. sovereignty in the hands of the ICC of the Sea," he said.

McConnell emphasized that no country has done more than the United States to protect freedom of navigation, highlighting that U.S. and allied navies safeguard commercial shipping lanes essential for the global economy.

"And self-important jurists of the ICC of the Sea would do well to remember this fact the next time they consider biting the hand that feeds," he concluded.