US senators introduce bill to ban presidents from naming buildings after themselves

WASHINGTON

A group of US senators on Tuesday introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting the naming or renaming of federal buildings and property after sitting presidents, following recent efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to place his name on prominent national institutions.

Sen. Bernie Sanders joined by Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks announced the Stop Executive Renaming for Vanity and Ego (SERVE) Act, which would block what they described as illegal and self-serving attempts to brand public institutions with a sitting president’s name.

"It's no secret that President Trump is undermining democracy and moving this country toward authoritarianism. Part of that strategy is to create the myth of the 'Great Leader' by naming public buildings after himself — something that dictators have done throughout history," Sanders said in a statement.

Sanders said that for Donald Trump to put his name on federal buildings is "arrogant and it is illegal."

"We must put an end to this narcissism — and that’s what this bill does," he added.

The bill comes after the State Department announced last month that it was renaming the US Institute of Peace after President Donald Trump. Two weeks later, Trump-appointed members of the board of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts voted to add the president’s name to the building’s website and exterior.

Lawmakers backing the bill said both actions violate the federal statutes that established those institutions.