Congressman Randy Fine has introduced the Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act authorizing President Trump to “take whatever steps necessary to annex or acquire Greenland” as a territory of the United States.
Fine, who represents the Historic Side of The Villages and the Marion County section of The Villages, said the legislation is focused on “securing America’s strategic national security interests in the Arctic and countering the growing threats posed by China and Russia.”
Fine said that as global competition intensifies in the Arctic, the United States “cannot afford to allow adversarial powers to gain influence” over one of the world’s most strategically important regions.
“Greenland is not a distant outpost we can afford to ignore – it is a vital national security asset,” said Fine, who won a special election last year in large part because of Trump’s endorsement. “Whoever controls Greenland controls key Arctic shipping lanes and the security architecture protecting the United States. America cannot leave that future in the hands of regimes that despise our values and seek to undermine our security.”
The Melbourne Republican said Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have made clear that the Arctic is rapidly emerging as a major arena of global power competition.
“Our enemies are currently on their heels, as we just took out one of their top allies, Nicolas Maduro, in Venezuela. China and Russia continue to aggressively expand their presence in the region, while years of weak policies under Joe Biden allowed America’s strategic position to erode. Restoring American strength requires decisive action,” Fine said.
The Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act would authorize the president to take “whatever steps necessary to annex or acquire Greenland” as a territory of the United States. The legislation also requires the submission of a full report to Congress outlining the changes to federal law required to ultimately admit Greenland to become an official U.S. state.
“For too long, American leadership stood by while our adversaries chipped away at our geopolitical dominance. My bill will protect our homeland, secure our economic future, and ensure that America—not China or Russia—sets the rules in the Arctic. That is what American leadership and strength look like,” Fine said.
You can read the full text of Congressman Fine’s legislation here.