U.S. President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” sparking discontent among some Americans, including members of the House of Representatives.
Democratic representatives Tim Kennedy, Joe Morelle, and Debbie Dingell introduced the Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act to reverse the renaming of Lake Ontario and prevent future name changes to any of the Great Lakes.
This development followed Google’s controversial decision to relabel Lake Ontario as “Lake America” on its Google Maps app for U.S. users, with reports that Trump also urged Apple to make a similar alteration on Apple Maps. However, MapQuest publicly stated that they would not modify the name.
Kennedy, who hails from Buffalo and shares a border with Canada, discussed the rationale behind opposing the name change in an interview with The Current host Paul Hunter.
The bill introduced aims to revoke the president’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario, which Kennedy criticized as a distraction from more pressing economic issues, such as tariffs on Canada. He emphasized the importance of holding the administration accountable and expressed confidence that the upcoming elections would bring change.
Reflecting on the strong historical ties between the U.S. and Canada, Kennedy highlighted the deep cultural and economic connections between the two nations, emphasizing the need to protect and strengthen these relationships despite political challenges.
As the issue unfolds, Kennedy remains optimistic that bipartisan support will be garnered for the bill, citing previous instances where bipartisan efforts led to positive outcomes. He believes that the upcoming midterm elections will be a turning point in restoring accountability and order in the government.
The proposed legislation serves as a response to Trump’s actions and aims to uphold the longstanding bond between the U.S. and Canada, emphasizing the shared values and intertwined nature of the two nations.
