Sponsors (18)
The bill fast-tracks a potentially major strategic acquisition of Greenland and adds time-limited congressional review and transparency requirements, but it could saddle U.S. taxpayers with large costs and allow substantial changes to take effect without explicit congressional approval or sufficient time for scrutiny of complex rights and governance issues.
U.S. national security and American taxpayers: Authorizes formal negotiation to potentially acquire Greenland, expanding U.S. strategic territory and Arctic access which could strengthen defense posture and geopolitical leverage.
Congress and federal officials: Requires the President to transmit any agreement and annexes within 5 days and provides a 60-day congressional review window, increasing transparency and giving lawmakers an explicit opportunity to review and reject a major territorial agreement.
U.S. taxpayers: Acquiring Greenland could require substantial federal spending on infrastructure, governance, and defense, imposing large costs on taxpayers.
Congress: The bill treats congressional inaction as approval (the agreement takes effect if Congress does not disapprove), which limits Congress's affirmative consent role and could allow major sovereignty changes without explicit approval.
State governments (and affected communities): The rapid 5-day transmission plus a compressed 60-day review period may constrain thorough congressional and public scrutiny of complex sovereignty, legal, and indigenous-rights issues related to Greenland.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows the President starting Jan 20, 2025, to seek negotiations to acquire Greenland and creates a 60-day congressional review that lets the agreement take effect unless Congress disapproves.
Introduced January 13, 2025 by Andy Ogles · Last progress January 13, 2025
Authorizes the President, beginning at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 20, 2025, to seek negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark to acquire Greenland. Requires the President to send any reached agreement and related materials to the relevant congressional foreign affairs committees within five days and starts a 60-calendar-day congressional review period during which Congress may pass a joint resolution of disapproval; if Congress does not act within 60 days the agreement takes effect as law. The measure sets a narrow procedural timeline for transmittal and congressional review, creates a fast-track “approve unless disapproved” outcome for any agreement, and raises potential diplomatic, governance, Indigenous rights, and constitutional oversight questions for U.S. foreign policy and defense planning.