A proposed bill from a House Republican would rename coastal waters around the US after former president Donald Trump, whose administration rolled back dozens of environmental rules while he was in office.
Legislation from Florida Representative Greg Steube would rename the US Exclusive Economic Zone to the “Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.”
That area spans roughly 4.3 million nautical miles and “extends no more than 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline and is adjacent to the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the US” and its territories, according to the National Ocean Service.
“Floridians know the great value of our coastal natural resources and how important it is to have a president who cares about the strength and resilience of our oceans,” Steube said in a statement.
In office, Trump reversed nearly 100 environmental rules governing clean water, air and wildlife while sidelining climate scientists and repeatedly calling the climate crisis a “hoax.” His 2024 campaign, bolstered by Heritage Foundation-backed Project 2025, has centered around a “drill baby drill” slogan for oil production.
Environmental advocates have warned that Project 2025’s proposals would be a “death sentence” for federal protections by gutting key federal agencies, radically expanding offshore oil and gas production, and breaking up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among other moves.
Trump’s campaign also has pledged to expedite federal drilling permits and open up “vast stores” of oil and gas for extraction on public lands.
Steube’s legislation, which was first reported by Fox News Digital but has yet to be introduced, is unlikely to pass Congress in a Democratically controlled Senate. Stuebe has said he plans to introduce the bill today to honor Trump on his 78th birthday.
“During his time in office, President Trump took several commendable actions for our oceans as part of his work to make America strong, secure, and economically prosperous,” Steube said in a statement. “I’m honored to introduce legislation that will rename our coastal waters after President Trump and serve as a reminder of his many contributions to our nation for generations to come.”
Pennsylvania Representative Guy Reschenthaler also introduced a bill earlier this year to rename the Washington-Dulles International Airport after Trump.
Congressional Democrats then suggested renaming a federal prison in Florida after the former president, who was convicted on 34 felony counts in New York and faces dozens of other charges stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and for allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago compound. He has pleaded not guilty in his non-New York cases.
