US coastal waters could be renamed after former President Donald Trump if an initiative by Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) is enacted.
Representative Steube introduced legislation to rename the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) into the ‘Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.’
If Steube’s bill passes, any reference to the EEZ in law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other public US record will include the former president’s name.
The EEZ is the maritime area to which a coastal nation possesses exclusive economic rights.
According to Steube’s office, the initiative to rename the US EEZ after President Trump is a sign of gratitude for his administration’s policies and actions to protect the US coastal waters.
“Floridians know the great value of our coastal natural resources and how important it is to have a president who cares about the strength and resilience of our oceans,” said Steube. “During his time in office, President Trump took several commendable actions for our oceans as part of his work to make America strong, secure, and economically prosperous.”
The US EEZ is the largest in the world and covers 4,383,000 square miles.
Steube commended Trump for various actions he took dealing with American coastal waters.
Specifically, Steube applauded Trump for signing an executive order creating an interagency Ocean Policy Committee to coordinate public ocean resource management.
Another initiative mentioned by Steube was Trump’s order for Federal agencies to strategize mapping the US’ EEZ and Alaskan coastlines. Such mapping, according to Steube, would deepen the government’s understanding of US coastal waters and bolster efficient permitting for ocean exploration activities.
The U.S. marine economy contributed over $430 billion to the American economy in 2021, as reported by NOAA.
