1970s funk band War also changed their name, having previously been known as both The Creators and later Nightshift.
What the legislation does
On Sept. 5, President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War. This would also allow the Secretary of Defense, currently Pete Hegseth, to be known as the Secretary of War.
That same week, congressional Republicans introduced legislation to make these name changes permanent. The Department of War Restoration Act was introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL17) in the House and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in the Senate.
Context
For most of American history, the department was indeed known as the Department of War. But after World War II, Congress enacted the National Security Act of 1947 to better unify the military branches, since the Army and Navy had been overseen by separate departments.
For two years, this new comprehensive department was called the National Defense Establishment. But in 1949, the name was changed to the Department of Defense in response to the Soviet Union acquiring nuclear bombs.
“The anodyne appellation was intended so as not to provoke the paranoia of the Politburo,” Michael Keane, a fellow of the National Security Education Program, wrote in an opinion column for The Hill.
“In the newly nuclear age, with military strategies struggling to catch up with apocalyptic weaponry, a less bellicose-sounding military establishment seemed to make sense in the service of preventing an atomic extinction event.”
What supporters say
Supporters argue that the reinstituted name is tougher, stronger, and returns to a time-honored heritage.
“From 1789 until the end of World War II, the United States military fought under the banner of the Department of War. Thanks to their courage and sacrifice, the standard of excellence was established for all servicemembers who followed in their footsteps,” Rep. Steube said in a press release. “It is only fitting that we pay tribute to their eternal example and renowned commitment to lethality by restoring the name.”
“For the first 150 years of our military’s history, Americans defeated their enemies and protected their homeland under the War Department,” Sen. Lee said in a separate press release. “[The bill would] make President Trump’s return to tradition permanent in federal law. It should always be clear to anyone who would harm our people: Americans don’t just play defense.”
What opponents say
Opponents counter that the renaming is belligerent, unnecessary, and duplicitous.
“Given the Trump administration’s repeated emphasis on fiscal restraint—particularly its aggressive use of illegal impoundments and now, unconstitutional pocket rescissions—this symbolic renaming is both wasteful and hypocritical,” 10 Senate Democrats wrote to the Congressional Budget Office. “It appears to prioritize political theater over responsible governance, while diverting resources from core national security functions.”
Odds of passage
The House bill has attracted 10 Republican cosponsors, while the Senate bill has attracted two Republican cosponsors. Either awaits a potential vote in their respective chamber’s Armed Services Committee, both controlled by the GOP.
House Republicans also introduced two other bills in September to make the same policy change, though neither has yet attracted any cosponsors. Rep. John McGuire (VA-5) introduced the Peace Through Strength Act, while Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN2) introduced another bill, named the Restoring the United States Department of War Act.
Competing proposals
Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced a competing bill: the Department of Defense’s Cost of War Act. It would require any expenditures associated with the renaming to come out of the Defense Secretary’s personal travel budget.
While not explicitly introduced in response to Trump's renaming, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN5) introduced a February bill to create a Department of Peacekeeping—essentially the opposite of a “Department of War.” That bill has attracted 38 Democratic cosponsors.
Jesse Rifkin is a freelance journalist with The Fulcrum. Don’t miss his report, Congress Bill Spotlight, on The Fulcrum. Rifkin’s writings about politics and Congress have been published in the Washington Post, Politico, Roll Call, Los Angeles Times, CNN Opinion, GovTrack, and USA Today.
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