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3h ago

Senate Panel Advances Law to Rename Department of Defense as Department of War

Enshrining President Trump's rebrand in the must-pass defense bill would require congressional approval plus extensive legal and administrative updates.

Image
In this image released by the Department of Defense, a North American Aerospace Defense Command F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft, foreground, escorts a Russian Su-35 fighter, center, and Tu-95 Bear bomber through the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone over the Bering Sea Sept. 24, 2025.

Overview

  • The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 18-9 to advance language in the 2026 NDAA that would rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, clearing the measure out of committee on Thursday.
  • The House Armed Services Committee approved a similar amendment earlier, making the rename part of both chambers' NDAA drafts and setting up a reconciliation fight before final congressional approval and the president's signature.
  • The Pentagon formally asked Congress for the change after President Trump issued an executive order last year allowing provisional use of the 'Department of War' name and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly endorsed the move.
  • A Congressional Budget Office estimate says updating signs, documents and systems could cost up to $125 million and would require roughly 7,600 statutory references to be revised, creating a complex, phased implementation burden.
  • Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, criticized the measure as symbolic and risky for diplomacy while supporters say the rename signals a tougher posture, and lawmakers now face political and practical pressure as the NDAA moves to full chambers.