Congresswoman Luz Rivas Slams House Republicans for Ignoring Working Families, Renaming Gulf of Mexico

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) released the following statement after House Republicans voted to pass H.R. 276, the Gulf of America Act, a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico:

“House Republicans chose to pass a bill that prioritizes fulfilling Donald Trump’s vanity project rather than help the millions of Americans who are struggling because of his policies that are tanking our economy and raising the costs of living,” said Congresswoman Rivas. “I introduced an amendment to this bill that would have actually helped working families, but Republicans once again refused to consider legislation to help working families and prevented my proposal from receiving a vote on the House floor. The true test of how great we are as a country is how we treat our most vulnerable, and once again, Republicans failed.”

Background

H.R. 276, the Gulf of America Act, renames the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Federal agencies would be required to update all references to the Gulf of Mexico in their official documents, maps, and regulations within 180 days.  

  
President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness,” mandating the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, disregarding the name used internationally for centuries and the Gulf’s shared history and importance to Mexico and Cuba.

The bill was heard at the House Natural Resources Committee’s Full Committee markup on April 9, 2025. Congresswoman Rivas introduced an amendment stating that the bill will not go into effect until the Department of the Interior can prove that the Gulf of America Act would improve the American economy. This amendment failed by a 17-23 vote.

H.R. 276, the Gulf of America Act, passed the House by a vote of 206-211. Watch Congresswoman Rivas’ remarks against H.R. 276

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