[House Report 119-85]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-85
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GULF OF AMERICA ACT
_______
April 30, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Westerman, from the Committee on Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
together with
DISSENTING VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 276]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 276) to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the ``Gulf
of America'', having considered the same, reports favorably
thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill as
amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Gulf of America Act''.
SEC. 2. RENAMING OF GULF OF MEXICO AS ``GULF OF AMERICA''.
(a) Renaming.--The Gulf of Mexico shall be known as the ``Gulf of
America''.
(b) References.--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''.
(c) Implementation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting
through the Chairman of the Board on Geographic Names, shall
oversee the implementation of the renaming described in
subsection (a) with respect to each Federal document and map.
(2) Requirement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the head of each Federal agency
shall update each document and map of the Federal agency in
accordance with the renaming described in subsection (a).
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 276 is to rename the Gulf of Mexico as
the ``Gulf of America''.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
H.R. 276 codifies actions taken by President Trump through
Executive Order (E.O.) 14172, Restoring Names That Honor
American Greatness, signed on January 20, 2025.\1\ The bill
would permanently rename the area formerly known as the Gulf of
Mexico as the Gulf of America.
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\1\Executive Order 14172, The White House, January 2025, https://
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/DCPD-202500139/pdf/DCPD-202500139.pdf.
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COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 276 was introduced on January 9, 2025, by
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The bill was
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries.
On March 25, 2025, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and
Fisheries held a hearing on the bill. On April 9, 2025, the
Committee on Natural Resources met to consider the bill. The
Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries was discharged
from further consideration of H.R. 276 by unanimous consent.
Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) offered an Amendment in the
Nature of a Substitute designated Westerman_011 ANS. The
amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to by voice
vote. Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Huffman #3. The amendment was not agreed to by a voice vote.
Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) offered an amendment to the
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Huffman #4.
The amendment was withdrawn. Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-
NY) offered an amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute designated Velazquez #6. The amendment was not
agreed to by a voice vote. Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA)
offered an amendment to the Amendment in the Nature of a
Substitute designated Brownley #31. The amendment was not
agreed to by a roll call vote of 15 yeas to 22 nays, as
follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Brownley #28. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call
vote of 16 yeas to 24 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Darren Soto (D-FL) offered an amendment to
the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Soto #5.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 17 yeas
to 23 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Brownley #27. The amendment was not agreed to by a voice vote.
Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) offered an amendment to the
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Huffman #2.
The amendment was not agreed to by a voice vote.
Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Velazquez #12. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call
vote of 17 yeas to 23 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Maxine Dexter (D-OR) offered an amendment to
the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Dexter
#15. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 17
yeas to 23 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Maxine Dexter (D-OR) offered an amendment to
the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Dexter
#1. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 17
yeas to 23 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Luz Rivas (D-CA) offered an amendment to the
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Rivas #11.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 17 yeas
to 23 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Ansari #9. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote
of 16 yeas to 24 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Emily Randall (D-WA) offered an amendment to
the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Randall
#34. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 16
yeas to 25 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Brownley #36. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call
vote of 17 yeas to 24 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA) offered an amendment
to the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated
Brownley #38. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call
vote of 17 yeas to 24 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Representative Adam Gray (D-CA) offered an amendment to the
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Gray #13.
The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 17 yeas
to 24 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) offered an amendment to
the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute designated Huffman
#49. The amendment was not agreed to by a roll call vote of 18
yeas to 23 nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the
House of Representatives by a roll call vote of 24 yeas to 17
nays, as follows:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries
held on March 25, 2025.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title
Establishes the short title of this act as the ``Gulf of
America Act''.
Section 2. Renaming of Gulf of Mexico as ``Gulf of America''
Establishes that any reference in law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
Gulf of Mexico shall be deemed a reference to the ``Gulf of
America.'' Section 2 also directs the Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Chair of the Board on Geographic
Names to oversee the implementation of the name change and
requires the head of each federal agency to update each
document and map within 180 days of enactment.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee has received the following estimate for the
bill from the Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 276 would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the ``Gulf of
America.'' The bill would require federal agencies, under the
oversight of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, to update
documents and maps to reflect the name change. Based on the
cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that updating federal
documents and maps would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-
2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 276 also could affect direct spending by some
agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale
of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO
estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those
agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust
amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Kelly Durand.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or
objective of this bill is to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the
``Gulf of America''.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
According to the Congressional Budget Office, H.R. 276
contains no unfunded mandates as defined by the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any
directed rule makings.
Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was
not included in any report from the Government Accountability
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law
98-169) as relating to other programs.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
As ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources,
H.R. 276 would make no changes in existing law.
DISSENTING VIEWS
H.R. 276 is an unserious bill that would force federal
agencies that in many cases are currently being gutted
illegally and without justification to spend time, money, and
staffing on renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the ``Gulf of
America,'' a symbolic and costly rebranding effort that offers
no benefit to the American people.
This wasteful stunt comes at a time when Americans face
rising costs of food, housing, healthcare, and necessities\1\--
cost increases largely self-inflicted by President Trump's
reckless, aimless, and chaotic trade war and tariff taxes. It
comes at a time when House Republicans have voted on a budget
plan requiring cuts to Medicaid.\2\
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\1\Americans sour on some of Trump's early moves, Reuters/ipsos
poll finds Reuters. (n.d.-a). https://www.reuters.com/world/
us/americans-sour-some-trumps-early-moves-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2025-
01-28/.
\2\E.g., Congressional Budget Office finds House GOP budget goals
would require Medicaid cuts, CBS News (Mar. 6, 2025), https://
www.cbsnews.com/news/house-republicans-budget-
medicaid-cbo/.
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Instead of addressing any of the mounting crises facing the
nation under this President, this bill would mandate a complete
overhaul of federal maps, documents, and regulations that
reference the Gulf of Mexico, further diverting limited agency
staff time and resources at a time when budget cuts and
widespread workforce reductions already strain federal
agencies.\3\ This legislation does nothing to improve national
security, energy prices, environmental health, or economic
stability--it is simply a performative exercise in political
messaging, all on our constituents' dime.
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\3\Kinnard, M. (2025, March 12). Reductions in force: A look at
which agencies are affected by Doge-led job cuts. AP News. https://
apnews.com/article/job-cuts-doge-reductions-force-rif-musk-
197a432955b328073714bcc0e4ff95be.
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Recent polling shows that 70% of Americans overwhelmingly
oppose this proposal.\4\ Renaming a major international body of
water distracts from more pressing national priorities and
attempts to rewrite history. This bill continues a broader
crusade to redefine historical narratives around an
exclusionary vision of American identity, ignoring the
interconnected realities of the region and our shared
stewardship of the Gulf of Mexico.
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\4\Americans sour on some of Trump's early moves, Reuters/ipsos
poll finds Reuters. (n.d.-a). https://www.reuters.com/world/
us/americans-sour-some-trumps-early-moves-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2025-
01-28/.
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The amount of government time and expense that the
Republican House of Representatives is putting toward this
nonsense is an insult to the American people. No doubt our
constituents will take note in the coming months of what the
Republican House was ``working'' on while their wallets feel
the brunt of the economic chaos from the Trump Tariffs.
Jared Huffman,
Ranking Member.
[all]