A House Democrat is introducing legislation that would block President Trump from making good on his threats to either purchase Greenland or take it by force, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It's in direct competition with a Republican bill also introduced on Monday that would authorize Trump to "take such steps as may be necessary" to acquire the Danish-controlled island territory.
- Trump has openly mused in recent weeks about the possibility of acquiring Greenland, which both Danish and Greenlandic officials have insisted is not for sale.
- Both bills are extreme long-shots. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but many of them have also have pushed back against Trump's suggestion that the U.S. may try to take Greenland militarily.
Driving the news: Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) is introducing the "Greenland Sovereignty Protection Act," a three-page bill that would block federal funds from being used to finance Trump's Greenland ambitions.
- The bill prohibits funds from being used to facilitate "the invasion, annexation, purchase, or other form of acquisition of Greenland" by the U.S. government.
- It would also prevent funding for a surge of U.S. troops to the island or a public influence campaigns aimed at swaying the Greenlandic people to support a U.S. takeover.
State of play: After the U.S. conducted a military operation in Venezuela earlier this month that resulted in the extradition of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Trump began floating more international incursions.
- He has suggested the U.S. may intervene military further in Venezuela and in Greenland, Colombia, Mexico and Cuba.
- Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have pushed back strongly against most of those suggestions, with many noting that Greenland, as a Danish territory, is protected by Article 5 of the NATO charter.
