WASHINGTON, DC – A U.S. congressman from Florida has announced new legislation that would officially rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” in the wake of a similar order from President Donald Trump.
In a release on Monday, Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-CD1) revealed his “Lake America Act,” which would replace references to Lake Ontario with “Lake America” across all of the following:
Federal laws
Federal maps
Federal regulations
Official federal records
If approved, all federal agencies would be required to update their maps and documents within 180 days.
Patronis said he put forward the proposal after Trump previously redubbed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
“President Trump put America back on the map. Now we’re putting America on Lake Ontario,” Patronis said. “Canada can call it whatever they want, but here in America, I say we call it Lake America. I’m a proud American, and I’ve always believed there’s nothing wrong with a little more American pride. So I figured, why stop at the Gulf? Lake America sounds a whole lot better.”
The controversial decision to rename Lake Ontario was met with mixed reactions, though leaders in Florida have appeared to embrace the move.
Over the weekend, for example, Florida Education Commissioner Henry Mack announced that public schools in the state will update standards and instructional materials to recognize the new term.
Google also updated its maps application to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users in the U.S., saying in a blog post that the decision was based on its practice of using names assigned by the GNIS.
The situation mirrors that of last year, when Trump similarly renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” on his first day in office.
Afterward, the Sunshine State followed suit, with the state Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approving a law that added “Gulf of America” to the state’s lexicon.
Lawmakers also OK’d another law that required the federal designation be included in instructional materials for state schools in grades K-12.
It is unclear how much it will cost taxpayers to rename state and federal maps and signs.
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