Keep Federal Emergency Powers From Silencing Human Rights Advocates

As a constituent, I urge you to use Congress’s constitutional and statutory powers to protect Americans from the effects of Executive Order 14203, which uses emergency economic sanctions in connection with specified activities involving the International Criminal Court (ICC). Executive Order 14203 can chill lawful speech, legal work, research, religious activity, advocacy, and association by Americans who communicate or work with the ICC. Congress should protect those constitutional freedoms by limiting the order’s reach, terminating its underlying emergency, restricting enforcement funds, and conducting vigorous oversight. EMERGENCY POWERS SHOULD NOT CHILL AMERICAN SPEECH Executive Order 14203 relies on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the National Emergencies Act. It authorizes sanctions against certain foreign persons associated with specified ICC investigations or prosecutions and restricts transactions involving sanctioned persons. The Administration continued the underlying national emergency in January 2026, so the sanctions regime remains active. American lawyers, researchers, religious organizations, and human-rights advocates should not have to risk government penalties simply for carrying out lawful work concerning atrocities and the rights of their victims. The threat of investigation or penalties can silence lawful activity even when no sanction is ultimately imposed. CONGRESS SHOULD LIMIT THE POWERS IT CREATED Congress created these emergency powers. Congress should now set clear limits on their use. Whatever one’s view of the ICC, including its actions involving Israel, Congress should not permit emergency sanctions authority to erode First Amendment protections at home. Congress does not have to endorse every decision of the ICC to defend the First Amendment and its own institutional authority. I urge you to: (1) PROTECT SPEECH. Introduce or cosponsor legislation limiting IEEPA authority so it cannot be used under Executive Order 14203, or any similar order, to penalize or restrict Americans for constitutionally protected speech, association, legal representation, journalism, research, religious activity, or advocacy. (2) END EMERGENCY. Support legislation terminating the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14203. (3) RESTRICT FUNDING. Use Congress’s power of the purse by prohibiting federal funds from being used to enforce EO 14203 against protected American speech and association. (4) REQUIRE OVERSIGHT. Press the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees to hold hearings and investigate whether the Administration is using emergency powers beyond the limits Congress intended. Thank you.

First sent on August 12 by Bill