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U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Tim Kennedy (D-NY-26), and Joe Morelle (D-NY-25) introduced legislation to stop the Trump Administration from unilaterally renaming Lake Ontario and protect the official names of all five Great Lakes. The Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act was introduced in response to President Trump’s signing of an executive order seeking to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America.

The Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act would: 

• Prohibit the federal government from renaming Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario;

• Nullify Executive Order 14422, which renames Lake Ontario as “Lake America”; and

• Block federal funds from being used to implement, administer, or otherwise give effect to the order or any substantially similar action.

“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. “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.”

“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. “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 Congressman Joe Morelle. “This is ridiculous, it’s embarrassing, and it’s exactly the kind of unserious distraction Americans are tired of.”

Congresswoman Dingell is a fierce advocate for the Great Lakes and believes their names are part of our shared history, culture, and identity, and that they should not be used as a political pawn in the Trump Administration’s escalation of an unnecessary trade war. As co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force in the U.S. House, a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, and a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congresswoman Dingell has been at the forefront of legislative efforts to protect and preserve the Great Lakes. 

In July 2026, Congresswoman Dingell, alongside the other three co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, urged the Trump Administration to lift the stop-work order and end the administrative review on the Brandon Road Lock and Dam complex. The critical project is designed to prevent invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes and devastating the region’s $11 billion fishing and recreation industry, and work was abruptly halted on July 24, 2026, putting Great Lakes ecosystems and the regional economy at severe risk. Also in July 2026, the congresswoman requested the Trump Administration release delayed funding that supports critical efforts to stop the spread of invasive species across the Great Lakes. Congresswoman Dingell is also a champion of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which is designed to protect and restore the Lakes, and she has consistently pushed for robust funding for it.

Bill text can be found HERE.