Gulf of America Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. DEXTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this ridiculous bill.

Let's be honest: This bill, along with the executive order it reinforces, is absurd. It is unserious, ineffective, and beneath the dignity of this institution.

Changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico won't change the fact that the world will keep calling it exactly what it is, the Gulf of Mexico.

This isn't just about a name. It is about an administration using the power of the Federal Government to bully the press, going so far as to ban reporters from the Oval Office for refusing to go along with this charade. Let's call that what it is: an assault on free speech.

Our courts have stood up against these attacks, but we can't ignore the chilling message this sends to journalists everywhere: If you don't fall in line, you will be punished.

That, Mr. Speaker, is a page right out of the authoritarian playbook.

Americans didn't ask for this, and they didn't vote for this. They are struggling with real challenges, such as putting food on the table, accessing healthcare, and rebuilding after disasters. Yet, here we are, wasting time on political theater instead of working to actually help them.

In the United States, we are constitutionally guaranteed the right to challenge power, to speak truth to it, and to laugh when our leaders make ridiculous claims. That is not disrespect. It is critical for a healthy democracy.

That is why I offered an amendment to this bill, an amendment Republicans refused to even take up. My amendment would have made it absolutely clear that nothing in this bill could be used to censor the press or authorize retaliation against news organizations for using accurate names. This administration may have no regard for the Constitution, but Congress must.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to remember this and to vote against this bill.

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