The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a Republican-led bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," marking the first successful vote to codify one of President Donald Trump's executive orders into federal law. The measure passed narrowly in a 211-206 vote, with no Democratic support and a single Republican, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, joining the opposition.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), mandates that all federal agencies update maps, laws, and official documents within 180 days to reflect the new name. Oversight of the change would be handled by the Secretary of the Interior. Trump initially signed the executive order on his first day in office, calling the body of water "an indelible part of America."
"It's our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it's what the entire world should refer to it as," Greene said in a statement in January. "It's time to codify President Trump's executive order into law," she reiterated on social media ahead of the vote.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, where it faces a steep challenge in the narrowly divided chamber. Republicans would need support from at least seven Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance the bill.
Rep. Don Bacon, who broke with his party, said earlier this week that he found the legislation frivolous. "It just seems juvenile," Bacon told CNN. "We're the United States of America. We're not Kaiser Wilhelm's Germany or Napoleon France."
Democratic lawmakers have widely condemned the measure, accusing Republicans of wasting congressional time. "With all the important work this Congress should be tackling, the speaker and House Republicans have chosen to indulge the president in a whim that the American public does not support," said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D., Pa.). She added, This "may be the dumbest bill brought to the floor."
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D., Fla.) expressed disbelief: "Prices are going up. People's 401Ks are being decimated, and they want to rename the Gulf of Mexico, which isn't even going to work. The rest of the world is going to call it the Gulf of Mexico."
"Insanity," added Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D., Colo.). "I can't believe this is where we are spending our time."
Supporters of the bill have argued the name change underscores American strategic, economic, and cultural dominance in the region. House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R., N.C.) said the change "recognizes the strategic influence America has over this geography." She added, "The necessary renaming made by the president did not end the world... nor did it cause a single bit of harm to the American people."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo dismissed the name change as absurd, sarcastically suggesting that the U.S. be renamed "Mexican American" in retaliation. Sheinbaum also threatened legal action against Google after the company updated its maps to reflect the name "Gulf of America" in February.
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly planning a similar renaming effort abroad. Two administration officials told CNN the president is considering rebranding the Persian Gulf as the "Gulf of Arabia" during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, although no formal announcement has been made.
