Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7084, the Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2026.

This legislation codifies the commonsense principle that foreign nations should not profit from properties stolen from Americans. This bill is needed because for years the Mexican Government has engaged in a deliberate campaign against an American company, Vulcan Materials, headquartered in my district.

In 2022, Mexican authorities used military force to shut down Vulcan's lawful operations. Then, in 2024, they took the dramatic step of declaring Vulcan's private property a protected natural area. The move was not designed to conserve land but to justify taking it.

However, this is about more than one company. Mexico's actions sent a dangerous signal to every American business operating abroad that their investments, their assets, their rights could be stripped away at any moment by the corrupt Mexican Government.

When I and other members of the Alabama delegation, in a bipartisan manner, met with the Ambassador from Mexico, he described his government's actions as a civil dispute. I pointed out to the Ambassador that in America we don't send in our military to resolve civil disputes.

The port at the center of the dispute is not just any asset. As has been pointed out by other speakers, it is the only deepwater port on the Yucatan Peninsula, built by American investments and critical to supplying construction materials for infrastructure across the United States.

Mexico's actions undermine not only property rights but also our supply chains. The illegal action is more like an action by a cartel than it is a trustworthy government, and it raises serious questions about entering into any agreements with Mexico.

The Defending American Property Abroad Act ensures that foreign governments cannot seize American-owned infrastructure and then benefit from the infrastructure. It authorizes the United States to deny entry to vessels operating out of or that have visited ports unlawfully expropriated from American companies.

Mr. Speaker, this is about protecting American businesses and, fundamentally, the rule of law. If we fail to act here, then we invite more of this behavior not just from Mexico, but from any nation watching to see how the United States responds.

I thank Representative Pfluger for his work on this important issue, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 7084.

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