The Pentagon has formally asked Congress to enshrine its rebranding as the 'Department of War,' estimating the effort will cost nearly $52 million—a figure officials insist will not derail President Trump's fiscal 2027 defense budget.
In a 92-page legislative proposal submitted to Capitol Hill, the Defense Department acknowledged that actual expenses are still being tallied and will only be finalized after the current fiscal year's implementation wraps up. The request would trigger roughly 7,600 changes to federal law, including swapping 'Secretary of Defense' for 'Secretary of War' and similar updates across statutes.
The price tag breaks down unevenly: $44.6 million is earmarked for Defense agencies and field activities, $3.5 million for the military departments, $3 million for Secretary Pete Hegseth's office and Washington Headquarters Services, and $400,000 for the Joint Staff, combatant commands, and the National Guard Bureau.
Cost Discrepancies Raise Eyebrows
The Pentagon's $52 million estimate is less than half the $125 million ceiling the Congressional Budget Office projected in January, which warned costs could climb depending on how aggressively the changes are executed. Critics question whether the department is lowballing the price to ease passage.
Defense officials defended the move as a philosophical reset. 'The revision to the designation of the Department serves as a fundamental reminder of the importance and reverence of our core mission, to fight and win wars,' the proposal states. 'It serves as a strategic objective in which to measure and prioritize all activities.'
President Trump set the rebranding in motion with an executive order last September, and the Pentagon has already swapped its website and social media handles. Hegseth's office door now reads 'Secretary of War.'
Legislative Push and Political Divisions
Republican lawmakers have introduced bills to codify the change: Rep. Greg Steube of Florida in the House and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah in the Senate. The move revives the original name used when George Washington established the Department of War in 1789, before it was rechristened the Department of Defense in 1949.
The request arrives amid broader scrutiny of Pentagon spending and leadership. Senate Republicans have grown increasingly skeptical of Hegseth's management, and the department faces ongoing controversies over press access and troop welfare. The Pentagon's seizure of Stars and Stripes has also raised alarms about independent news for service members.
Democrats have questioned the symbolism and cost at a time when defense budgets face pressure from inflation and ongoing overseas operations. The proposal's fate remains uncertain as appropriators weigh its impact against other priorities, including rising energy costs linked to global conflicts. Gas prices have hit a four-year high amid the Iran conflict, adding economic urgency to the debate.
