mr. chairman , i thank the gentleman for yielding me this time . 
i rise in strong support of the kline amendment and thank the gentleman from minnesota for offering it today . 
no one in this body knows better than the gentleman from minnesota the paramount and absolute need to protect , with every tool at our disposal , our men and women in uniform . 
the gentleman from minnesota 's amendment today does just that by expressly stating in this long overdue united nations reform package that all of the reforms we will pass augment , and in no way change , the federal law that exempts our troops from prosecution in the international criminal court . 
the icc is a threat not only to the sovereignty of the united states and to the constitutional rights of american citizens ; it is an overreaching distortion of the united nations charter and its mission . 
the icc would , in effect , disregard not only federal and state law but also the uniform code of military conduct , thereby establishing a rogue court in which foreign judges can indict , try , and convict american troops for broadly defined and openly interpreted crimes , all without any of the fundamental legal rights guaranteed by the united states constitution . 
the icc , then , represents a clear and present danger to the ultimate success of the civilized world 's war on terror and an affront to both our troops and the nation they serve . 
when we ask american men and women to risk their lives around the world to defend our freedom , the least we can do is promise them they will not be hauled before an unaccountable , politically motivated court just for doing their job . 
the united states is not a party to the icc and has even taken the unprecedented step of `` unsigning '' the treaty to clarify that point . 
we do not cooperate in any of its proceedings or pretenses , and we do not recognize its authority over any action undertaken by a single citizen of this nation . 
the icc is a product of the worst excesses of the undemocratic mindset that has so permeated the united nations and distorted its true purpose . 
the united nations ' mission is to protect and promote human rights around the globe , to exhort with clarity and courage the principles of justice and liberty to those who would seek to oppress them . 
the icc , on the contrary , could be an instrument of undemocratic score-settling , a shadowy kangaroo court in which despots and their diplomats can humiliate and even imprison the men and women who have the courage to do the work the u.n . 
refuses to do . 
i urge our colleagues to vote for the kline amendment and reiterate america 's commitment to our troops , our national sovereignty , and the hard work of human freedom . 
