Rep. Dusty Johnson plans to introduce legislation that would give President-elect Donald Trump authority to purchase the Panama Canal.

Mr. Johnson’s office confirmed to The Washington Times that he could present the measure as early as Thursday, barring finalization of the bill’s text. His effort comes after Mr. Trump has floated retaking control of the canal, among other foreign territories.

“I think it is a Teddy Roosevelt moment,” the South Dakota Republican told Fox News, which first reported his plan to bring a bill to greenlight Mr. Trump’s wishes. “And frankly, America used to run this canal, and it was very well run under American leadership.”

Indeed, construction teams from the U.S. completed the canal in 1914, and the passage was under control by the U.S. government for nearly seven decades.

Mr. Trump argued during a press conference on Tuesday that the U.S. selling the Panama Canal in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter was a “disgrace.”

The president-elect contended that the canal is a vital waterway to America and that China runs the shipping passage. He didn’t rule out using military force to retake control of the canal.

While his positions on retaking the canal, renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and absorbing Canada or Greenland have largely been lauded by Republicans, Democrats have mostly scoffed at the ideas.

“House Democrats believe that we are not sent to Washington to invade Greenland, rename the Gulf of Mexico or seize the Panama Canal by force,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, said. “We were sent to Washington to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America.”

However, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, seemed more open to the idea of at least renaming the gulf.

“Let me say this,” Mr. Schumer said on the Senate floor. “I’d work with Donald Trump on renaming the Gulf of Mexico — only if he first agrees to work with us on an actual plan to lower costs for Americans.”