Overview
- The Pentagon, which sent a legislative proposal Tuesday, asked Congress to make the rebrand law and said the change would have no significant effect on the 2027 budget.
- The request would require about 7,600 edits to U.S. law to swap titles such as Department of Defense and Secretary of Defense for Department of War and Secretary of War.
- DoD estimates roughly $50–52.5 million in implementation during 2026, with about $44.6 million borne by defense agencies and field activities and smaller sums for the military services and headquarters.
- The Congressional Budget Office warned in January that costs could climb to $125 million depending on how broadly and how quickly the government enforces the new name.
- The push traces to a September 2025 executive order that launched use of the secondary title and prompted website and signage changes, with legal renaming now expected to surface in 2027 defense policy and budget battles in a divided Congress.