Bill Summary
This legislation, called the "Resolution on US Commitment to Respecting Mexico's Sovereignty," reaffirms the United States' commitment to respecting Mexico's sovereignty and condemns any calls for military action in Mexico without Mexico's consent and congressional authorization. It references various international agreements, such as the UN Charter and the Charter of the Organization of American States, which state that the use of force against another country's sovereignty should be avoided. The resolution emphasizes the importance of the strong relationship between the US and Mexico and the need for continued cooperation in addressing issues such as trade, security, and drug trafficking. It specifically calls on the US government to not engage in any military actions in Mexico without the approval of the Mexican government and without explicit authorization from Congress. The resolution also highlights the potential consequences of military action, both for the US and Mexico, and the importance of respecting the balance of powers outlined in the US Constitution. Ultimately, this resolution emphasizes the need for peaceful and collaborative approaches to addressing issues in Mexico rather than resorting to unilateral military action.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation could affect people by limiting the actions of the United States government in terms of using military force in Mexico. This could potentially prevent the US government from taking military action against certain entities without the consent of the Mexican government and without congressional authorization. This could also impact the safety and well-being of US service members and civilians in both Mexico and the United States.
2. The legislation could also limit the ability of the US government to designate certain entities, such as transnational criminal organizations, as foreign terrorist organizations, which could potentially restrict the use of military force against these organizations. This could have an impact on the government's ability to combat rising crime, violence, and drug trafficking in the region.
3. The legislation could also impact the relationship between the US and Mexico, as it reaffirms the importance of strong bilateral relations and calls for continued engagement with Mexico. This could potentially lead to increased cooperation and collaboration between the two countries on issues such as trade, investment, and counter-narcotics efforts.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 168 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 168
Reaffirming the United States commitment to respecting the sovereignty
of Mexico and condemning calls for military action in Mexico without
Mexico's consent and congressional authorization.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Mr. Castro of Texas (for himself, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms.
Velazquez, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mr. Casar, Mr.
Khanna, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Vargas, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Torres of
California, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Omar, Ms. Titus, Mr. Gomez,
Mr. Carson, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Jacobs, Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick, Ms. Norton, Ms. Schakowsky, and Ms. Tlaib) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the United States commitment to respecting the sovereignty
of Mexico and condemning calls for military action in Mexico without
Mexico's consent and congressional authorization.
Whereas Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations, to which the United
States is a party, states, ``All Members shall refrain in their
international relations from the threat or use of force against the
territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any
other manner . . .'';
Whereas the Charter of the Organization of American States, to which the United
States is a party, Article 3(h) of Chapter III states, ``An act of
aggression against one American State is an act of aggression against
all the other American States'', and Article 3(i) states,
``Controversies of an international character arising between two or
more American States shall be settled by peaceful procedures'';
Whereas Article 22 of the Charter of the Organization of American States
declares, ``The American States bind themselves in their international
relations not to have recourse to the use of force, except in the case
of self defense in accordance with existing treaties or in fulfillment
thereof'';
Whereas the United States and Mexico have cooperated for several decades on a
variety of issues such as trade, investment, counter-narcotics,
migration, rule of law, and security, including through recent high-
level security and economic dialogues;
Whereas unilateral military action in Mexico could result in further violence
and displacement in the country, contributing to forced migration within
the Western Hemisphere including the United States;
Whereas Mexico is the largest trading partner of the United States, and
unilateral military action in Mexico could trigger severe bilateral
consequences that drive up expenses for workers and consumers in the
United States;
Whereas unilateral military action in Mexico by the United States risks trapping
the United States military in an intractable conflict, endangering the
lives of United States service members and civilians in both Mexico and
the United States; and
Whereas it is in the interest of the United States to work with the Mexican
government to address the challenges posed by transnational criminal
organizations: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) respects the sovereignty of Mexico, as protected by the
principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter
of the Organization of American States;
(2) rejects and condemns the use of military force by the
United States against entities based in Mexico if conducted
without the consent of the Mexican Government and without an
explicit authorization for the use of military force enacted by
Congress;
(3) recognizes that any act of aggression on Mexico's
sovereign territory without their consent could be considered
an act of war and a violation of international law;
(4) emphasizes that any actions by the President to engage
in hostilities in Mexico without congressional authorization
and for purposes other than repelling a sudden attack would
impinge on the constitutional separation of powers and
implicate the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.);
(5) underscores that any designation of an entity,
including transnational criminal organizations, as a foreign
terrorist organization under United States law on its own does
not provide the President the authority to conduct military
actions against that entity;
(6) reaffirms the President's inherent power to repel
sudden attacks on United States persons and territory while
noting that the manufacture, transportation, and sale of
fentanyl and related chemical compounds is not an invasion,
predatory incursion, or other armed attack by a foreign
adversary and should not serve as the basis for using military
force without congressional authorization; and
(7) calls on continued United States engagement with Mexico
and strong bilateral relations to support productive and
effective means of combating rising crime, violence, and drug
trafficking.
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