Republicans Waste Time and Taxpayer Money with Vanity Bill as Economy Crashes
Washington, D.C. – Today, as the stock market was thrown into chaos and Americans are struggling to make ends meet, the House Natural Resources Committee Republicans held a markup on legislation designed to distract from this administration’s pandemonium and stroke the President’s ego. The markup featured pushing a Gulf of Mexico renaming stunt – all while families across America face rising costs, real crises, Trump Tariff whiplash, and shrinking retirement accounts thanks to the economy Republicans wrecked.
"President Trump's reckless tariff plan has driven our markets into turmoil. The S&P 500 is officially in bear market territory, the Dow is cratering and for the average American teachers, firefighters, truck drivers, their 401ks and retirement savings are crumbling before their eyes, and that's without getting into the higher prices that we're all starting to see. These tariffs go into effect starting today. Is the majority doing anything about this looming economic catastrophe that absent decisive intervention will profoundly harm every sector of our economy and numerous programs under this committee's jurisdiction? Obviously, no. Republicans in this Congress are just too busy renaming things like the Gulf of Mexico,” Ranking Member Huffman said during the markup. “The many issues that we're neglecting today are not abstract problems, they're immediate threats to our constituents' safety, heritage, and livelihoods, and they're entirely avoidable problems... caused by an administration that is going entirely unchallenged by this Republican Congress. Elon Musk is dismantling the Social Security Administration after calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme just a few days ago.
“Americans are not asking us to rename places in this moment, they're asking us to lower costs to protect their savings, to fight for their future. They're asking us to confront and mitigate the real and immediate threats of drought and wildfire. They're asking us to stop the absolute chaos coming out of this administration. We urgently need congressional leadership to tackle the most pressing problems in America, and instead we are here with distractions and culture war sideshows. We owe the American people better, much better than this.”
Republicans voted against multiple Democratic amendments, including:
- Ranking Member Jared Huffman's amendment to restore the name “Denali” to North America’s highest peak.
- Rep. Darren Soto’s amendment to permanently withdraw the eastern Gulf of Mexico from oil and gas leasing.
- Rep. Julia Brownley’s amendment to ensure the Secretary of the Interior certifies that the Department will not authorize any oil and gas lease sales in Atlantic and Pacific planning areas.
BACKGROUND
A full list of amendments offered by Committee Democrats can be found below.
H.R. 276 (Greene) Gulf of America Act of 2025
| Amendment #1 by Dexter | Clarifies that nothing in this bill authorizes the federal government to engage in retribution or censorship against a news organization that refers to the gulf as “Gulf of Mexico” |
| Amendment #2 by Huffman | Adds that the term “Gulf of America” was first coined by Stephen Colbert in reference to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster |
| Amendment #3 by Huffman | Strikes “Gulf of America” and inserts “Gulf of Ignorance” |
| Amendment #4 by Huffman | Adds that references to Planet Earth shall be considered references to “Planet Trump” |
| Amendment #5 by Soto | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the President permanently withdraws the Eastern Gulf of Mexico from oil and gas leasing |
| Amendment #6 by Velázquez | Strikes “Gulf of America” and inserts “Gulf of Helene” |
| Amendment #9 by Ansari | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that President Trump’s trade war will not increase costs for American families and businesses |
| Amendment #11 by Rivas | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior provides an economic policy assessment of the bill to determine its effects on food prices, GDP, job creation, and unemployment. |
| Amendment #12 by Velázquez | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until CBO certifies that renaming the gulf would not increase the deficit or increase spending. |
| Amendment #13 by Gray | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that they will not reduce or redirect funding for the Bureau of Reclamation in drought-vulnerable states |
| Amendment #15 by Dexter | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that the Department’s Office of the Inspector General is fully funded at the requested FY25 level |
| Amendment #27 by Brownley | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Department of the Interior conducts a public comment period on the proposed name change |
| Amendment #28 by Brownley | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that the Department will not authorize any oil and gas lease sales in Atlantic and Pacific planning areas |
| Amendment #31 by Brownley | Strikes “Gulf of America” and inserts “Gulf of America Should Rejoin the Paris Agreement” |
| Amendment #34 by Randall | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources certifies that the 119th Congress will not direct or authorize the sale of public lands to raise revenue in a reconciliation bill |
| Amendment #36 by Brownley | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the NOAA extreme weather funding, positions, and offices are restored |
| Amendment #38 by Brownley | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources certifies that IRA funds supporting Gulf states will not be rescinded |
| Amendment #49 by Huffman | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that the name “Denali” has been restored to North America’s highest peak |
H.R. 845 (Boebert) Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025
| Amendment #1 by Dexter | Adds that the bill shall not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior certifies that workforce reductions will not hinder the ability of the Fish and Wildlife Service to carry out monitoring and conservation actions |
| Amendment #2 by Hoyle | Adds that the final rule will not be subject to judicial review unless the Secretary of the Interior finds that the gray wolf population has declined more than 10 percent in one year. |
| Amendment #6 by Huffman | Strikes Sections 2 and 3 and requires the Secretary of the Interior to publish a nationwide recovery plan for the gray wolf. |
Press Contact
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