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RESTORING NAMES
THAT HONOR
AMERICAN GREATNESS
EXECUTIVE ORDER
January 20, 2025
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby
ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. It is in the
national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and
ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our
American heroes. The naming of our national treasures, including
breathtaking natural wonders and historic works of art, should honor the
contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans in our Nation’s rich
past.
Sec. 2. Appointments to the U.S. Board on Geographic
Names. (a) Within seven days of the date of this order, each agency
head with authority to appoint members to the Board on Geographic Names (Board)
pursuant to 43 U.S.C. 364a, shall review their respective appointees and
consider replacing those appointees in accordance with applicable law.
(b) The Secretary of the Interior shall review and
consider additional appointments to the Board to assist in fulfilling all
aspects of this order, subject to all applicable laws.
(c) With respect to all applications for naming and
renaming submitted to the newly constituted Board, the Board shall advance the
policy established in section 1 of this order to honor the contributions of
visionary and patriotic Americans and may update its principles, policies, and
procedures as needed to achieve this policy.
(d) Where Congressional action is required to
establish a renaming in public law, following Board approval on renaming, the
Board shall provide guidance to all relevant Federal agencies to use the
Board-approved name in the interim in federal documents and achieve consistency
across the federal government.
Sec. 3. Renaming of Mount McKinley. (a)
President William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, heroically
led our Nation to victory in the Spanish-American War. Under his
leadership, the United States enjoyed rapid economic growth and prosperity,
including an expansion of territorial gains for the Nation. President
McKinley championed tariffs to protect U.S. manufacturing, boost domestic
production, and drive U.S. industrialization and global reach to new heights.
He was tragically assassinated in an attack on our Nation’s values and our
success, and he should be honored for his steadfast commitment to American
greatness.
In 1917, the country officially honored President McKinley
through the naming of North America’s highest peak. Yet after nearly a
century, President Obama’s administration, in 2015, stripped the McKinley name
from federal nomenclature, an affront to President McKinley’s life, his
achievements, and his sacrifice.
This order honors President McKinley for giving his life for
our great Nation and dutifully recognizes his historic legacy of protecting
America’s interests and generating enormous wealth for all Americans.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the
Secretary of the Interior shall, consistent with 43 U.S.C. 364 through 364f,
reinstate the name “Mount McKinley.” The Secretary shall subsequently
update the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to reflect the renaming
and reinstatement of Mount McKinley. The national park area surrounding
Mount McKinley shall retain the name Denali National Park and Preserve.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior shall work with
Alaska Native entities and state and local organizations to adopt names for
landmarks to honor the history and culture of the Alaskan people.
Sec. 4. Gulf of America. (a) The area
formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our
once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America. The
Gulf was a crucial artery for America’s early trade and global commerce.
It is the largest gulf in the world, and the United States coastline along this
remarkable body of water spans over 1,700 miles and contains nearly 160 million
acres. Its natural resources and wildlife remain central to America’s
economy today. The bountiful geology of this basin has made it one of the
most prodigious oil and gas regions in the world, providing roughly 14% of our
Nation’s crude-oil production and an abundance of natural gas, and consistently
driving new and innovative technologies that have allowed us to tap into some
of the deepest and richest oil reservoirs in the world. The Gulf is also
home to vibrant American fisheries teeming with snapper, shrimp, grouper, stone
crab, and other species, and it is recognized as one of the most productive
fisheries in the world, with the second largest volume of commercial fishing
landings by region in the Nation, contributing millions of dollars to local
American economies. The Gulf is also a favorite destination for American
tourism and recreation activities. Further, the Gulf is a vital region
for the multi-billion-dollar U.S. maritime industry, providing some of the
largest and most impressive ports in the world. The Gulf will continue to
play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy, and in
recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance
to our Nation’s economy and its people, I am directing that it officially be
renamed the Gulf of America.
(b) As such, within 30 days of the date of this order,
the Secretary of the Interior shall, consistent with 43 U.S.C. 364 through
364f, take all appropriate actions to rename as the “Gulf of America” the U.S.
Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the
States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to
the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the
Gulf of Mexico. The Secretary shall subsequently update the GNIS to reflect
the renaming of the Gulf and remove all references to the Gulf of Mexico from
the GNIS, consistent with applicable law. The Board shall provide
guidance to ensure all federal references to the Gulf of America, including on
agency maps, contracts, and other documents and communications shall reflect
its renaming.
Sec. 5. Additional Action. The Secretary of
Interior may solicit public and intergovernmental input regarding additional
patriots to honor, particularly in light of America’s semiquincentennial
celebration, and shall recommend action to me, through the Assistant to the
President for Domestic Policy.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in
this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive
department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative
proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or
in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
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