'Gulf Of America' Vote Passes: See How Your PA Rep. Voted

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With help from the Pennsylvania delegation, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on federal documents and communications.

The House bill passed by a vote of 211-206. Pennsylvania's representatives supported the motion by a count of 10-7, on exact party lines.

President Donald Trump had signed an executive order declaring the change on his first day in office, marking one of the more headline-grabbing and symbolic "America-first" moves of his new administration.

"It's easy to mock this legislation because it's so inane and embarrassing — and we have," said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pennsylvania. "But its very existence and the fact that House Republicans have chosen to waste time and taxpayer dollars to bring it up for a vote, is worth considering."

Here’s how PA's representatives voted:

• Brendan Boyle (D, 2nd) - No
• Robert P. Bresnahan, Jr. (R, 8th) - Yes
• Madeleine Dean (D, 4th) - No
• Christopher R. Deluzio (D, 17th) - No
• Dwight Evans (D, 3rd) - No
• Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R, 1st) - Yes
• Chrissy Houlahan (D, 6th) - No
• John Joyce (R, 13th) - Yes
• Mike Kelly (R, 16th) - Yes
• Summer Lee (D, 12th) - No
• Ryan Mackenzie (R, 7th) - Yes
• Daniel Meuser (R, 9th) - Yes
• Scott Perry (R, 10th) - Yes
• Guy Reschenthaler (R, 15th) - Yes
• Mary Gay Scanlon (D, 5th) - No
• Lloyd Smucker (R, 11th) - Yes
• Glenn Thompson (R, 15th) - Yes

It is not yet clear what level of support the measure has in the Senate.

While Trump's order carries authority over how the name of the body of water is referred to by the federal government, there is nothing stopping others from using the Gulf of Mexico name. Indeed, while Google Maps has changed the name for users in the U.S., it still appears as the Gulf of Mexico to users in other countries. The Associated Press has also stated that the body of water will be referred to as the Gulf of Mexico.

The order and legislation similarly have no bearing on Mexico, which shares borders with the the gulf, or on other countries.

Democrats said the vote demonstrated that Republicans are not focusing on the priorities of most Americans. New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House's top Democrat, asked Democrats to vote against this "silly, small-minded and sycophantic piece of legislation."

Republicans said the nomenclature of the Gulf extended back to a time before the U.S. existed and when Spanish influence over Central America and the Caribbean was at its zenith. But now, it is the United States that dominates economic activity in the Gulf.

"In short, this legislation recognizes the strategic influence America has over this geography, not to mention the existing economic, cultural, and commercial might that we passively exert on the Gulf," said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, a Trump ally and an influential voice in the Republican conference who wore a red "Make American Great Again" hat during last year's State of the Union address.

"The Gulf of America is one of the most important things we can do this Congress," Greene said, adding that it promotes pride in the country.

The name Gulf of Mexico has been used for more than 400 years.

The GOP leadership in the House promoted the legislation during a news conference earlier in the week.

"The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the Gulf of America. It's only right that it's named appropriately," said House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan.

Several Democrats spoke out against the bill on the House floor.

Rep. George Latimer, D-New York, said that "instead of mind-bending tariffs, giveaways to billionaires, and renaming bodies of water, we should be voting on bills that lower costs for the average family."

"No one is clamoring for a newly named body of water," Latimer said. "They want lower grocery bills."

The Associated Press contributed reporting.