Scoop: Democrats plan bill to counter Trump order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America"

House Democrats are planning legislation to counteract the executive order President Trump signed Thursday https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/trump-lake-ontario-lake-america" target="_blank">re-designating Lake Ontario as "Lake America," Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Democrats are scrambling to contain the fallout from an https://www.axios.com/2026/08/24/canada-trade-inflation" target="_blank">escalating economic conflict between the Trump administration and the Canadian government.

• The collapse of trade talks between the two countries last week https://www.axios.com/2026/08/22/us-canada-tariffs-trade-trump-carney" target="_blank">triggered 50% tariffs on a slew of Canadian goods, to which Canada has vowed to respond in kind.

Driving the news: Democratic Rep. Tim Kennedy, an upstate New Yorker who co-chairs the bipartisan Northern Border Caucus, told Axios in a text message he is "working on a bill" to respond to Trump's order.

• Kennedy is one of numerous Democrats who have denounced the renaming, saying in a statement it is evidence that Trump is a "petty, vindictive, failed president."
• Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), the chair of House Democrats' messaging arm, also slammed the order, saying in a radio interview on Thursday: "I think it's absolutely insane, and I deeply resent it."

Catch up quick: The executive order Trump signed directs the Interior Department to update the Geographic Names Information System within 30 days to reflect the name change.

• "In recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation's economy and its people, I am directing that the Lake officially be renamed as Lake America," the order said.
• Trump has previously ordered the federal government to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," though it remains unclear if he has the power to rename a body of water shared by multiple countries.
• Canadian officials have said they will not honor the name change.

Reality check: With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, Democrats will likely have trouble even securing a chance to vote on their legislation.