The House has passed a GOP-sponsored bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, advancing former President Donald Trump’s long-standing proposal. The legislation narrowly passed in a 211-206 vote and now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate. Only one Republican, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, broke ranks to vote against it, calling the measure “juvenile” and likening it to behavior unbecoming of a mature nation.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and supported by House GOP leaders, mandates that all federal agencies update maps and documents with the new name. The initiative has faced pushback even within Republican ranks, reflecting divisions over the bill’s substance and timing amid a narrow GOP House majority.
Democrats criticized the effort as a distraction and misuse of legislative resources.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania called it “the dumbest bill” she’s seen in Congress, arguing that the focus should be on more pressing national issues.
Trump had previously signed an executive order on his first day back in office directing agencies to adopt the new name. While some U.S. entities, including the Coast Guard, have begun using “Gulf of America,” the change has not been recognized internationally.
Defending the proposal, Greene said the U.S. is responsible for protecting the region’s waters and should assert its claim by renaming the gulf.
Trump is also reportedly planning to rebrand the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf ahead of his upcoming trip to the Middle East, where he’ll visit key allies like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Discussions around that change are ongoing, and the official announcement is still pending.
