Kennedy, Dingell, Morelle Introduce Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act to Block Trump’s Attempt to Rename Lake Ontario

As Trump's Tariffs Drive up Costs, Lawmakers Push Back on President's Move to Turn Lake Ontario into a Distraction From His Affordability Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26), alongside Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25), introduced the Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act, legislation to block President Trump's attempt to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America" and prohibit the future renaming of any of the five Great Lakes.

"Americans are struggling to afford groceries, housing, and everyday essentials, and yet this President chooses to pick petty fights with our closest ally," said Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26). "This unserious, unacceptable attempt to rename the historic, shared Lake Ontario adds insult to injury as Trump's tariffs drive up costs, making an already difficult situation worse. Our families, workers, and businesses need an administration focused on lowering costs and strengthening our economy, not distractions. Renaming a lake won't put food on the table, lower anyone's bills, or create a single job. It is a pathetic attempt to distract from an affordability crisis that this President has failed to fix."

"The Great Lakes are a shared treasure that generations of Americans and Canadians have worked together to protect. Canada is not our enemy. It is our neighbor, our ally, and one of Michigan's most important economic partners. It is a friendship that no stroke of a pen should be able to erase," said Congresswoman Dingell (MI-06). "By preventing President Trump from trying to divide us with distracting public relations stunts, maybe then he will turn his attention to his reckless trade war that is raising costs and threatening American workers."

"Lake Ontario is Lake Ontario. President Trump can play games with a map all he wants, but I'm not going to stand by while he wastes the authority and resources of the federal government doing it," said Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25). "This is ridiculous, it's embarrassing, and it's exactly the kind of unserious distraction Americans are tired of."

The legislation would prohibit the President, Secretary of the Interior, and federal officials acting under presidential authority from altering or renaming the official geographic names of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario. The bill would also nullify Trump's Executive Order renaming Lake Ontario, issued on August 27, 2026, and prohibits federal funds from being used to implement it or any substantially similar action.

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