House of Republicans on Thursday narrowly passed a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” echoing US President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. The measure, officially titled the “Gulf of America Act,” passed in a 211-206 vote, with one Republican — Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska — breaking ranks to vote “no.” The legislation now heads to the Senate.
The bill seeks to enshrine into law an executive order signed by Trump on Inauguration Day, directing federal agencies to refer to the body of water as the “Gulf of America” in all official documents, maps, and laws. “Names matter,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who introduced the bill. “Just as parents name a child with pride, we are naming this vital body of water to reflect our national pride. The Gulf is home to hundreds of thousands of businesses and is a cornerstone of our economy, especially in energy production.” The move drew backlash from Democrats, who condemned the measure as a waste of legislative time amid pressing national issues.
“This is a silly, small-minded, sycophantic piece of legislation,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). “Instead of addressing the economy, healthcare, Social Security, or national security, Republicans have chosen to spend a full legislative day debating a name change.” Even some Republicans voiced discomfort with the optics of the bill. “It seems sophomoric,” said Rep. Don Bacon. “The United States is bigger and better than this.” Despite the controversy, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) celebrated the passage by displaying a map labeled “Gulf of America” outside his office. The White House also backed the move, with the Office of Management and Budget stating its “strong support” for the renaming, calling it a symbolic yet meaningful affirmation of national identity.
We have bigger issues to fix.”
The internet swiftly reacted to the bill’s passage, with many users expressing frustration. One wrote, “They’ll pass meaningless stuff like this but not the important bills. What’s wrong with the Republicans?” Another added, “We have bigger issues to fix.” Some pointed out the process isn’t over yet, with one noting, “It’s not permanent until it goes through the Senate.” Echoing that, another remarked, “Wow, and all this time I thought Trump was just trolling the Dems!” Sarcasm was evident in comments like, “Doing so much hard work—this calls for another two-week vacation,” and “Waste of time and money. The U.S. Congress.” One user summed it up: “Such a critical bill…”