Over the weekend, the Obama Administration announced that Mount McKinley, the highest point in the United States, and North America, would be renamed Denali. Denali is the original name of the mountain and the local Alaskan native name.
The mountain was named Mt. McKinley by a gold prospector in 1896 after the then-presidential candidate. In 1917, Congress passed legislation to formally adopt that name. Since then, the mountain has served as a tribute to the 25h President of the United States, William McKinley. McKinley was assassinated months into his second term.
Since the re-naming, there have been efforts to restore the mountain’s original name. In 1975, Governor Jay Hammond formally petitioned the Interior Department, but the Department waited to see if Congress would act. Since then, Alaskan politicians have drafted legislation to restore the name while Ohio politicians have filed countering legislation to keep the name. Ohio is the home state of President McKinley.
The Interior Department has justified its action by saying it is responding to the Governor’s request after Congress has not acted.
Since the announcement was made, top Ohio Republicans in Congress have blasted the Obama Administration’s decision to rename the mountain.
Senator Rob Portman responded to the move on Twitter:
I’m disappointed with the Administration’s decision to change the name of Mt. McKinley in Alaska (1/5)
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 31, 2015
Pres McKinley was a proud Ohioan, and the mountain was named after him, as a way to remember his rich legacy after his assassination (2/5)
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 31, 2015
The naming of the mountain has been a topic of discussion in Congress for many years (3/5)
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 31, 2015
This decision by the Administration is yet another example of the President going around Congress (4/5)
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 31, 2015
I urge Admin 2 work w/ me 2 find alternative ways 2 preserve McKinley’s legacy somewhere else in the natl park that once bore his name (5/5)
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) August 31, 2015
Speaker John Boehner, who is from Ohio, also responded to the move:
“There is a reason President McKinley’s name has served atop the highest peak in North America for more than 100 years, and that is because it is a testament to his great legacy. McKinley served our country with distinction during the Civil War as a member of the Army. He made a difference for his constituents and his state as a member of the House of Representatives and as Governor of the great state of Ohio. And he led this nation to prosperity and victory in the Spanish-American War as the 25th President of the United States. I’m deeply disappointed in this decision.”
While Speaker Boehner is technically correct that the name has been there for over 100 years, it has only been the official name for 98 years.