If you thought the 51st state debate would be about Puerto Rico or D.C., think again. Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) filed legislation Monday that would set the United States on a path to annex Greenland and make it a full-fledged state, giving concrete form to President Donald Trump's long-standing fascination with the massive Arctic island.
The Case for Control
Fine's "Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act" doesn't beat around the bush. The bill aims to enable "the annexation and subsequent admission to statehood of Greenland," according to his office.
"Greenland is not a distant outpost we can afford to ignore — it is a vital national security asset," Fine said in a press release. "Whoever controls Greenland controls key Arctic shipping lanes and the security architecture protecting the United States."
He added that "America cannot leave that future in the hands of regimes that despise our values and seek to undermine our security."
How It Would Work
The legislation authorizes Trump "to take such steps as may be necessary, including by seeking to enter into negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark, to annex or otherwise acquire Greenland as a territory of the United States." Once acquired, the president would need to submit a report to Congress outlining what federal law changes would be "necessary to admit the newly acquired territory as a State."