House Republican introduces bill to let Trump annex Greenland

A House Republican on Monday introduced legislation that would give President Trump the authority to annex Greenland and turn it into a U.S. state.Why it matters: The bill is an extreme long-shot, but it serves as a stark display of Republicans' eagerness to prove their loyalty to the president as he muses publicly about acquiring the island territory by force.Lawmakers in both parties have brushed off the notion of invading Greenland and sovereign countries like Mexico and Colombia, but Trump has continued to hammer the idea.An invasion of Greenland, which is an overseas territory of Denmark, could trigger a NATO response under Article 5 of the organization's charter.Driving the news: Rep. Randy Fine, a staunch Trump loyalist from Florida, introduced the two-page bill, called the Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act."The President is authorized to take such steps as may be necessary, including by seeking to enter into negotiations with the Kingdom of Denmark, to annex or otherwise acquire Greenland as a territory of the United States," the bill says.It also creates a framework for Trump to seek expedited congressional approval for granting Greenland statehood.What they're saying: "Whoever controls Greenland controls key Arctic shipping lanes and the security architecture protecting the United States," Fine said in a statement."America cannot leave that future in the hands of regimes that despise our values and seek to undermine our security."Fine's legislation appears to go further than Republican bills introduced last year to allow Trump to try to purchase Greenland from Denmark.Reality check: Fine's bill is probably going nowhere fast, as even many Republicans oppose the idea of using force to acquire Greenland.Go deeper... Scoop: Democrat introduces bill to shut down Trump's Greenland ambitions