House Republicans on Thursday approved a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” the first step in codifying one of the executive orders President Trump signed on Inauguration Day.
The chamber cleared the legislation — titled the “Gulf of America Act” — in a 211-206 vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration, where its future looks dim. At least seven Democrats would need to join all Republicans in supporting the legislation for it to pass, an unlikely scenario.
For now, however, Republicans are touting House passage of the measure as a victory for Trump’s agenda and his “America first” mantra. In a sign of the excitement among Republicans, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) displayed a large sign outside his office depicting a map with the “Gulf of America” label.
“Names matter,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who sponsored the legislation, said on the House floor Thursday. “Parents take a lot of time when they think about what to name a child that they’re happy to welcome in the world because they have pride and they’re to welcome their new baby into the world and that’s why they take pride in the name that they name their child.”
“And as we rename the gulf the Gulf of America we are also taking pride in those waters,” she added. “There are an estimated half a million businesses operating along the gulf coast. The gulf is a major economic hub, particularly for oil and gas production.”
The measure, which spans four pages, calls for all U.S. records — including laws, maps, regulations, documents and papers — to refer to the waterway as the “Gulf of America.”
Democrats opposed the measure in droves, arguing that passing the legislation was not a smart way to use the House’s time in such a news-heavy moment.
“I urge a strong no against this silly, small-minded, sycophantic piece of legislation,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said on the House floor Thursday. “What might members of Congress under this temporary Republican majority be debating on the floor today? Would it be legislation about the economy? Something about health care? Anything about social security? Perhaps something on public safety? Maybe national security matters? Anything to bring to life the American dream for hardworking American taxpayers?”
“No,” he added. “What Republicans have decided to spend this entire legislative day doing is to debate a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.”
While the legislation drew widespread support from Republicans, there were some frustrations among moderates who, similarly, griped about focusing on the largely symbolic measure when members could be focusing on other pressing matters.
“I’ve heard criticisms from all corners of the conference. Conservatives to pragmatic ones,” centrist Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Fox News. “It seems sophomoric. The United States is bigger and better than this.”
Bacon was the lone GOP “no” vote on Thursday.
The White House backed the bill. In a statement of administration policy, the Office of Management and Budget said the administration “strongly supports” the measure, writing that it “recognizes the official renaming of the Gulf of America, as it continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the Nation’s future.”
