In a win for President Donald Trump delivered by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican-led House of Representatives has taken a bold step to ensure the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America stands permanent.
See the tweet below!
However, this move hasn’t been without controversy, showcasing the continued divide in Congress.
On May 8, 2025, the House voted 211-206 to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
The legislation saw opposition from all Democrats, with Rep. Don Bacon being the only Republican to vote against it, Fox News reports.
Some Democrats, like Rep. Steny Hoyer, criticized the bill as a waste of time, dubbing it a “sick joke.”
On the other side, House Speaker Mike Johnson, alongside Marjorie Taylor Greene, pushed for making the change permanent to prevent reversals by future administrations.
GOP lawmakers were not uniformly enthusiastic. Many privately expressed frustration, seeing the bill as more symbolic than substantive.
Rep. Don Bacon voiced similar concerns, viewing the proposal as “sophomoric.”
“Codifying the rightful renaming of the Gulf of America isn’t just a priority for me and President Trump, it’s a priority for the American people. American taxpayers fund its protection, our military defends its waters, and American businesses fuel its economy,” said Greene, cited by ABC News.
The legislation introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene requires all references to the Gulf of Mexico be updated to the Gulf of America.
Federal agencies, overseen by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, will manage these updates.
The bill moves to the Senate, where it faces a 60-vote threshold to proceed.
The Senate’s stance remains uncertain. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has not committed to the bill’s future, and there are divisions among Republicans.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, for instance, publicly opposed it, linking it to previous objections over Trump’s renaming efforts regarding Mount Denali.
As the House continues to focus on such symbolic moves, questions arise about the priorities in Congress.
Critics argue that while the name change reflects patriotic fervor, it overshadows more pressing issues, a view held by some who argue Congress should focus on tangible legislative successes for hardworking American taxpayers.
The Republican-led House voted Thursday to codify President Donald Trump's Gulf of America executive order.
Its fate in the Senate is more of a challenge, given that it will need bipartisan cooperation to overcome a filibuster. https://t.co/cNDF4dIdvC pic.twitter.com/eJHA4lfCCq
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) May 8, 2025
