Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) has introduced a bill to authorize the president to negotiate the return of the Panama Canal to the United States, amid President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to take back control of the key passageway.
“President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal,” Johnson told The Epoch Times.
“China’s interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern. 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.”
Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024, at the age of 100, handed sovereignty of the U.S.-built canal to Panama, in an agreement that took effect in 1999. In the agreement, the United States retained the right to take military action to secure the canal from foreign aggression or if the canal is used to interfere with U.S. interests.The new bill, which The Epoch Times acquired a copy of, would allow the president, in coordination with the secretary of state, to enter into negotiations with Panama to reacquire the canal, which connects the Pacific to the Atlantic through the Caribbean Sea and is crucial for intercontinental trade and commerce.
