Lone Republican Votes Against Bill Renaming Gulf of Mexico

Republicans voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill that officially renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, following President Donald Trump's executive order signed on his first day back in office.

Why It Matters

Trump signed the "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness" executive order on January 20, which ordered Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to "take all appropriate actions to rename as the 'Gulf of America' the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the State of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico."

However, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia brought the bill before the House of Representatives just days after Trump signed his order, which includes funding to cover the cost of officially changing all government maps to reflect the new name.

"We have to force this to happen and we should! We rename post offices all the time this isn't complicated," Greene wrote on X in January.

What To Know

The bill passed with 211 votes in favor and 206 votes against the measure to rename the gulf. The vote occurred after an effort to send the bill back to committee failed.

Both Democrats and Republicans had eight non-voting members, and only one Republican, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, voted against the measure. He had previously told reporters he found the bill "juvenile."

"We're the United States of America. We're not Kaiser Wilhelm's Germany or Napoleon France," Bacon told CNN earlier this week. "We're better than this. It just sounds like a sophomore thing to do."

Bacon has spoken out several times during Trump's first 100 days back in office to criticize his policies, including the reciprocal tariffs.

The issue has proven contentious, with the Associated Press continuing to call the body of water the Gulf of Mexico, which led to the White House barring the outlet from covering some events due to the disagreement.

In an email to the Associated Press, White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles acknowledged that the news organization was singled out due to the widespread influence of its stylebook, which serves as a standard for journalists, scholars, and students nationwide, according to a lawsuit brought against the White House by the news organization.

What People Are Saying

A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior told Newsweek via email: "It is up to each federal agency and office to change their signage and websites per their own budgetary needs and website update scheduling."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies wrote on X: "Voted NO on the Republican bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico. And made clear on the House Floor that America is not down with MTG."

Representative Brandon Gill of Texas, a Republican, wrote on X: "House Republicans just passed the Gulf of America Act. The choice was simple: America or Mexico. 205 Democrats chose Mexico."

The House Republicans X account posted: "The House is proud to introduce you to the Gulf of America. Thank you to [Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene] for leading this legislation to codify [POTUS]' executive order. The Gulf will forever be America's."

What Happens Next

Despite the victory, the bill is unlikely to move forward since it would require the Senate to pass the measure as well, where Democrats have a better chance to block it from succeeding.

Update 5/8/25 at 12:26 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information, context and comments.

Update 5/8/25 at 3:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the Department of the Interior.