The Republican-led House on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to codify President Donald Trump’s executive order that renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
Though all Democrats and one Republican — Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska — opposed the bill, Republicans narrowly passed the measure, 211-206, sending it to the Senate for a vote.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia introduced the GOP bill after Trump signed an executive order in January that ordered Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to “take all appropriate actions to rename the Gulf” and update a database of the “official names for geographic features in the 50 states."
Democrats, meanwhile, accused Republicans of ignoring more important matters while taking the time to evaluate this bill.
"What might members of Congress under this temporary Republican majority be debating on the floor today?" House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., asked during debate ahead of the vote. "Would it be legislation about the economy? Something about healthcare, anything about social security? Perhaps something on public safety, maybe national security matters? Anything to bring to life the American dream for hardworking American taxpayers?"
No," Jeffries continued, "What Republicans have decided to spend this entire legislative day doing is to debate a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.”
While Trump does not need congressional approval to ensure the name change is reflected across the federal government, the bill would prevent a future president from easily reversing the move through executive action.
Bacon said Tuesday that he plans to vote "no," calling the legislative effort "juvenile."
“We’re the United States of America. We’re not Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany or Napoleon’s France. I just — we’re better than this. It just sounds like a sophomore thing to do," Bacon told CNN.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-vote-bill-codifying-trump-gulf-america-mexico-executive-order-rcna205501