The House Armed Services Committee voted Thursday evening to advance an amendment to the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill that would officially change the name of the Department of Defense back to the Department of War. The party-line vote — with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed — came during the committee’s markup of the annual National Defense Authorization Act.
“This is an amendment I’ve been proud to work on,” Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said in a post on X after the vote. “American exceptionalism is back! … My amendment to RESTORE the name and legacy of the Department of War passed. Proud to deliver on this priority and advance policies that put America First!!”
Jackson also displayed a new Pentagon logo bearing the words “Department of War” during the late-night session, saying: “Now that you can see firsthand how beautiful it actually is, you will have no choice [but] to vote for this amendment.”
President Trump signed an executive order in September directing the name change, but without congressional action the department remains officially the Department of Defense. The committee vote is the first step toward codifying that order into law; the measure must still pass the full House and Senate.
Democratic members opposed the amendment. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the committee’s ranking member, said: “I really think this is one of the dumbest things that has been done by this administration.” Smith also pointed to the nation’s $4 trillion national debt and what he called the administration’s “over $1 trillion defense budget” while cutting health care, education, and food assistance programs.
The cost of the name change is disputed. The Pentagon asked Congress in late April to codify the name, saying it would cost about $52 million and would not significantly affect the Defense Department’s $1.15 trillion budget request. But the Congressional Budget Office, in a January report, estimated the change could cost up to $125 million, according to The Hill.
The department was originally established as the Department of War in 1789 under President George Washington. President Harry Truman changed the name to the Department of Defense in 1947 when he consolidated the Army, Navy, and newly independent Air Force under a single cabinet-level department.