Rep. Dusty Johnson is introducing a bill to authorize the repurchase of the Panama Canal.
Johnson announced the Panama Canal Repurchase Act after President-elect Donald Trump raised the idea of the U.S. taking control of the canal.
Trump accused Panama of overcharging U.S. ships and allowing China to gain influence over shipping on the canal, which is a key global waterway connecting Atlantic and Pacific shipping. When asked by reporters, Trump refused to rule out the use of military involvement to take the canal.
Spurred by President Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. completed construction of the Panama Canal in 1914. In 1977, the Carter Administration negotiated a treaty to cede the canal to Panama amid rising administrative costs and growing discontent from the Panamanian people, according to the Associated Press. The agreement officially gave the canal to Panama in 1999.
Johnson said Trump is right to consider repurchasing the canal.
“China’s interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern," Johnson said. "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.”
The prime minister of Panama said his country will not cede control of the canal back to the U.S, according to a BBC report.
