Lawmakers Move to Block Trump From Invading NATO Territory Over Greenland Threats

Lawmakers are moving to introduce a bipartisan bill that would prevent Donald Trump from carrying out unauthorized military action in NATO countries or territory.

It comes as the president has set his sights on Greenland and has refused to rule out military action in a bid to acquire the Danish territory.

His comments on the matter have not only sparked international concern, but they have also pushed lawmakers to introduce a bipartisan bill aimed at blocking an invasion.

Republican Rep. Don Bacon has joined Democratic members Bill Keating, Steny Hoyer, and Brendan Boyle to lead the bipartisan No Funds for NATO Invasion Act, according to Politico.

The group hopes that they will be able to drum up support among Republicans, with Democrats widely expected to support the bill.

“This is about our fundamental shared goals and our fundamental security, not just in Europe, but in the United States itself,” Keating told the outlet.

“War powers are important, but we’ve seen with Democratic and Republican presidents that that’s not as effective,” he said. “It’s hard to get around having no funds or not allowing personnel to do it.”

The legislation does not name Greenland directly, and Keating confirmed this was intentional to broaden the scope of the bill.

“This isn’t just about Greenland,” Keating said. “This is about our security.”

In a statement on social media, he added, “NATO has been the foundation for peace between the U.S. and Europe for almost 80 years, and it has made Americans safer and strengthened our defense against those who wish us harm.”

It comes after the Senate last week advanced a bipartisan resolution aimed at curbing Trump’s ability to conduct further military actions in Venezuela without explicit approval from Congress.

Senators voted 52 to 47 on a procedural motion to move forward with the so-called war powers resolution, with five Republicans breaking ranks to join Democrats.

The measure has now moved to full debate in the Senate and, if approved, it will go to the Republican-controlled House and ultimately to Trump’s desk.

A presidential veto is widely expected if the legislation reaches Trump, and overriding one would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers.

The resolution came in response to the U.S. capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and extraditing him to New York to face narco-terrorism charges.

Trump declared that he was in charge of the country following his capture, despite the country’s Supreme Court swearing in Maduro’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez.

Following the covert operation, Trump renewed his campaign to acquire Greenland, telling reporters that it was necessary for national security.

In an interview with the New York Times published on Sunday, the president also said that owning the country was important to him “psychologically.”

“That’s what I feel is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do, whether you’re talking about a lease or a treaty,” Trump said.

“Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document, that you can have a base,” he added.

He had earlier told reporters on Air Force One, “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

Trump’s comments have prompted warnings from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said the U.S. had no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom.

Despite those warnings and a reminder that Greenland is not for sale, the White House has continued to troll Europe over the matter.

In a social media post on Monday, the White House shared an edited image of Trump gazing out of a window, looking at the construction of his $400 million ballroom.

Instead of the construction site, the image was edited to show Trump looking at a map of Greenland.

The post was captioned, “Monitoring the situation.”