HRES168-119

That the House of Representatives— 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; 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; 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; 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.); 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; 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 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.