119-hres168

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 168 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

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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