Senate Republicans are looking to make the case for U.S. interest in Greenland with a hearing focused on the Danish territory’s mineral wealth and strategic importance.
The hearing called by Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) comes as President Donald Trump insists the U.S. should own Greenland — and he’s not ruling out force to take it.
The committee will hear from a host of national security experts and the executive of a mining company active in Cruz’s home state of Texas.
Cruz in a statement emphasized that Greenland has “enormous economic benefits” for the U.S. given the island’s massive cache of minerals and its location in the Arctic as threats from China and Russia grow.
“I believe this hearing will show the growing geopolitical importance of Greenland and why it is in the U.S.’s best interest to explore potential opportunities for the territory,” the senator said.
Greenland’s vast resources have come into sharper focus as climbing temperatures melt some of the ice that covers much of the the island.
The European Union has also recognized Greenland’s wealth — including for rare earth elements — but has run into challenges in tapping into those resources.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly said her country is open to more U.S. activity in Greenland but that the island is “not for sale.” She visited several European partners to gather support should Trump escalate his threats.
Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, who sits on the committee, said Greenland should “do what they want to do,” and that “Denmark, of course, would need to be included in those discussions.”
Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville told The Independent that acquiring Greenland would “be like Hawaii” — with its “nice weather.”
Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, also a member of the committee, told the newspaper that Tuberville’s comments were “one of the most ignorant things I have ever heard.”
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in a statement last month, dismissed the idea of the U.S. taking over Greenland, writing, “Greenland is not for sale” and that “the question has been asked and firmly answered by the government of Greenland, Naalakkersuisut.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) in an op-ed said acquiring Greenland could move forward “if the price is right” but that his home state of Alaska is also strategically positioned and has even more natural resources.
“Greenland is rich in minerals and energy reserves,” Sullivan wrote. “Alaska is even richer.”
Schedule: The hearing is Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell and via webcast.
Witnesses:
- Alexander Gray, senior fellow in national security affairs, American Foreign Policy Council.
- Anthony Marchese, chair, Texas Mineral Resources.
- Jennifer Mercer, section head, Arctic Sciences Section, National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs.
- Rebecca Pincus, director, Polar Institute, Wilson Center.
