U.S. House Dems challenge Trump's "Lake Ontario" name change through proposed legislation

Three U.S. House Democrats are challenging President Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America."

The Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act, introduced by Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and New York Congressmen Tim Kennedy and Joe Morelle, would prohibit the federal government from changing any of the five Great Lakes' names and reverse Mr. Trump's order regarding Lake Ontario.

"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," Dingell said in a statement. "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."

In a statement to CBS News Detroit, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, "Do the Democrat lawmakers not love America?"

On Thursday, Aug. 27, Mr. Trump signed the executive order to change the lake's name, which he had threatened to do earlier that week. Before signing, the president posted on Truth Social that the U.S. was considering changing the name and that the U.S. doesn't expect "to be doing much business with Ontario any longer."

Since the executive order, Google updated its maps to reflect "Lake America" in the U.S. The lake sits between Ontario and New York, where Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "New York won't be calling it that."

"Americans are struggling to afford groceries, housing, and everyday essentials, and yet this President chooses to pick petty fights with our closest ally," said Kennedy in a statement. "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."

"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 Morelle. "This is ridiculous, it's embarrassing, and it's exactly the kind of unserious distraction Americans are tired of."

The executive order comes as the U.S. is in the middle of a trade war with Canada, with both countries imposing tariffs on each other. Mr. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on some Canadian imports, such as wine and dairy, which took effect. Additionally, he announced 50% tariffs on all Canadian steel and automotive imports starting in January. 

In response, Canadian officials announced that they will impose matching tariffs of up to 50% on billions of dollars of U.S. goods beginning Sept. 8.

Talk of tariffs between the two countries previously led Canada to back out of a joint celebration with the U.S. in mid-July to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Instead, Canadian officials held their own ceremony. At the time, Mr. Trump had initially imposed 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods, such as hockey equipment and alcoholic beverages.

The bridge, which connects Detroit to Windsor, officially opened to motorists on July 27.