House Republicans on Thursday set in motion a plan to make good on President-elect Donald Trump’s oft-cited desire to enable the U.S. to take control of the Panama Canal, introducing a bill that would authorize the purchase of the waterway. 

What You Need To Know

  • House Republicans on Thursday set in motion a plan to make good on President-elect Donald Trump’s recently oft-cited desire to enable the U.S. to take control of the Panama Canal, introducing a bill that would authorize the purchase of the waterway
  • The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and co-sponsored by 15 other House Republicans, would enable the U.S. president and the secretary of state to “initiate and conduct negotiations" with their counterparts in Panama
  • Trump in recent weeks has doubled and tripled down on his criticisms of the deal, signed during the Carter administration in the 1970’s, that transferred control of the canal to Panama, which has now had complete authority over it for more than a quarter-century
  • Just this week during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Florida, the president-elect would not commit to ruling out the use of military force to secure it along with the country of Greenland

The legislation, spearheaded by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and co-sponsored by 15 other House Republicans, would enable the U.S. president and the secretary of state to “initiate and conduct negotiations" with their counterparts in Panama to reacquire the waterway. 

The president would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing any progress on such a potential acquisition within 180 days of the bill being passed.  

Johnson, who sits on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, cited countering China’s growing influence in the region in a press release. He also pointed to the potential economic benefit to America of controlling the canal as reasons such a move is necessary. 

“President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal,” said Johnson. “China’s interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern. America must project strength abroad – owning and operating the Panama Canal might be an important step towards a stronger America and a more secure globe.”

Trump in recent weeks has doubled and tripled down on his criticisms of the deal, signed during the Carter administration in the 1970’s, that transferred control of the canal to Panama, which has now had complete authority over it for more than a quarter-century. 

Just this week during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Florida, the president-elect would not commit to ruling out the use of military force to secure it along with Greenland, the self-governing island territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

“I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said.

“The Panama Canal is vital to our country,” Trump added. “We need Greenland for national security purposes.”

Republican House members in recent days have moved quickly to introduce legislation when the president-elect, set to return to the White House in less than two weeks, has mentioned something he wants to accomplish. 

Georgia firebrand conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would introduce a bill that seeks to allow the U.S. president to recognize the official name of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” after Trump brought up the idea at this week’s Florida press conference.

Republicans won control of both chambers of Congress in November's election and will have a trifecta in Washington when Trump returns to the White House later this month.