Over the weekend, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his Day 1 promise to seize control of the Panama Canal to counter China's alleged growing influence in the region. The president told reporters, "We're going to take it back or something really powerful is going to happen."
Trump's push to take control of the area is receiving support from lawmakers in the U.S. Congress. In January, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R–S.D.) introduced the Panama Canal Repurchase Act to authorize the president to enter into negotiations to reacquire the canal. The Republican Policy Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, meanwhile, has released a memo that details policies to accomplish Trump's Panama plans, including tariffs and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act—a 1977 law that gives the president the power to regulate international commerce, block assets, or confiscate property to protect national security.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently convened a hearing on the issue, where Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) said, "We need to ensure that Panama's relationships with foreign powers do not threaten the free flow of trade or undermine the security of the region."
