California Republicans vote for Gulf of America name. Democrats are a gulf apart
All nine of California’s Republicans voted Thursday to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. All of the state’s Democrats voted no.
The House voted for the renaming by a 211 to 206 majority.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, explained why he backed the plan, which would write into law the renaming plan proposed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.
“The Gulf of America is a critical region to our country’s economy. It’s a staple of energy independence that fuels economic growth, creates jobs, and is a tourist destination for people across the United States,” Kiley said.
“I support the name change because it reaffirms our commitment to the Gulf, making sure it continues to serve the U.S. as a strategic asset.”
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, had a simple reason for his support, saying he supported Trump’s “efforts to rekindle patriotism in America.”
Democrats, though, saw no value to this vote.
“At a time when Americans are struggling to afford groceries, housing, and gas Congress should be focused on lowering costs, not renaming bodies of water,” said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, in a House floor speech.
Rep. Adam Gray, D-Merced, said, “I voted no because this bill — like many of the others I’ve seen come to the House Floor during my four months in Washington — is a complete waste of time.”
He added that “the Central Valley didn’t send me to Congress to spend time on partisan messaging bills.”
Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office changing the name. The order said “the area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.”
The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., writes the order into law. It would make it more difficult for a future president to change the name.
The bill says, “Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper or other record of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘Gulf of America.’ ”
All 205 Democrats voting voted no. All but one Republican, Nebraska’s Don Bacon, voted yes.
“It just seems juvenile,” Bacon said on CNN. “We’re the United States of America. We’re not Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany or Napoleon’s France.”
It’s unclear if the bill will be considered in the Senate. Leaders there have not publicly discussed its future.
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 9:39 AM with the headline "California Republicans vote for Gulf of America name. Democrats are a gulf apart."
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