Salem, Oregon – Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said last week that he supports new laws that would bar sitting presidents from putting their names on public buildings and properties while they are still in office.
The proposal comes amid renewed scrutiny over recent naming decisions tied to former President Donald Trump that lawmakers say crossed legal boundaries already on the books.
The law was passed after the U.S. Institute of Peace announced in December that it will be renamed for Trump. A few weeks later, board members appointed by Trump at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts voted to add his name to the facility and its website.
Wyden and other sponsors say that both actions broke federal law, which limits when and how federal assets can be renamed.
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Wyden stated that the issue shows that people have their priorities wrong at a time when many Americans are having trouble paying for basic needs.
“Donald Trump is more focused on putting his name on buildings than he is on helping families in Oregon and across the country afford food, housing, or health care,” Wyden said.
“This legislation will help ensure that presidents can’t abuse the Oval Office or taxpayer dollars with shameless vanity projects while depriving families of the help they need.”
The Stop Executive Renaming for Vanity and Ego Act, or SERVE Act, would make it illegal to name or rename any federal structure, land, or asset after a sitting president.
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It would also stop the use of federal money for that purpose. The bill also included a clause that would return the titles of the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Peace back to what they were before, according to federal law.
The SERVE Act was introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland. Wyden was one of the bill’s cosponsors, along with Sens. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer from New York, Cory Booker from New Jersey, and Adam Schiff from California.
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Supporters say the law is meant to uphold long-standing standards and make sure that government facilities stay free of political self-promotion, no matter who is in the White House.
The text of the bill is here.
