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

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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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