House Republicans approved a bill Thursday to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, the first step in codifying an executive order 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 success looks unlikely, according to pundits.
At least seven Democrats would need to join all Republicans in supporting the legislation for it to pass the upper chamber to vault a filibuster.
But it does not appear that Senate Republicans will make the bill a priority. When asked Thursday if the Senate would take up the legislation, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he hadn’t thought “that far ahead” and asked, “Does it take Congress to do that?”
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 literal sign of support for the bill, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) displayed a large sign outside his office depicting a map with the “Gulf of America” label.
“Names matter,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who sponsored the legislation, said on the House floor Thursday. “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 US records — including laws, maps, regulations, documents and papers — to refer to the waterway as the Gulf of America.
