U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has joined a coalition of federal officials that will ask Congress to reject the renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America.
Gillibrand on Sept. 3 introduced a companion bill in support of U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle's "Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act." The legislation would prohibit any president, secretary of the interior or federal official acting with presidential authority from changing the names of Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie or Lake Superior.
President Donald Trump moved to rename Lake Ontario on Aug. 27 amid an escalating trade war with Canada. The New York lawmakers called his executive order a distraction from real issues facing the American public.
"Instead of renaming Great Lakes for no good
reason, the president should stop the political games, get back to the negotiation table, and make a deal that lowers costs for New York families," Gillibrand said in a statement.
Lake Ontario is not named after the Canadian province, but gets its name from an Indigenous word, "oniatarí," meaning "lake of shining waters."
Federal lawmakers will review the legislation this fall.
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Gillibrand joins effort to block Lake America name
