©2025 League of Conservation Voters
Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) sponsored an amendment to H.R. 4821, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024, which would defund the Board on Geographic Names, the federal government body that ensures accurate and consistent place names within the United States and abroad. It is also tasked with renaming features with racist and offensive names, including, for example, changing the names of three features: Mt. Evans in Colorado, and Jeff Davis Peak and Jeff Davis Creek in Montana in order to better reflect today’s values of inclusiveness and equity. They are now named Mt. Blue Sky, Three Eagles Peak, and Doyavinai Baa O’ogwaide – all in honor of and in partnership with Native nations. This amendment attacks both baseline government functionality and important work to right historic injustices. On November 2, the House rejected the Harshbarger amendment by a vote of 177-246 (House roll call vote 572).
©2025 League of Conservation Voters