WASHINGTON, On Thursday, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives approved a controversial bill seeking to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” a move that aligns with a prior executive order issued by former President Donald Trump.
Despite its passage in the House by a narrow vote of 211 to 206, the proposal faces significant hurdles in the Senate, where its prospects for becoming law remain slim.
The legislation proposes altering the centuries-old name of the body of water that borders five southeastern U.S. states—Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida—as well as a large portion of the Mexican coastline. The Gulf connects to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and has been recognized globally as the Gulf of Mexico for over 400 years.
Supporters of the bill, including its chief sponsor, outspoken Trump ally Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, argue that renaming the Gulf asserts American sovereignty and national pride. Enshrining the new name into federal law would make it more difficult for future presidents to reverse Trump’s executive directive.
However, with the Senate currently under Republican control by a slim 53-47 margin, the bill would still need to overcome the chamber’s filibuster threshold, which requires at least 60 votes to advance most legislation—making its passage highly improbable.
While geographic naming falls under the president’s authority for federal use, such declarations typically carry more symbolic weight unless reinforced by congressional legislation. International recognition and historical precedent continue to uphold the name “Gulf of Mexico” in global maps and diplomatic discourse.
