The effort to formally change the Department of Defense to the Department of War took a step forward this week after the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee with an amendment by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn).
The committee voted 18-9 to advance the legislation on Wednesday evening.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year to change the department's name to project a more aggressive military image to the world, but Congress must approve the name change for it to take effect.
Tuberville introduced the amendment in committee.
"The days of weakness and appeasement under the Biden administration are OVER," Tuberville wrote on X. "I’m proud to have introduced an amendment to this year’s NDAA that officially restores the name Department of War. Thanks to [President Donald Trump] and [Secretary of War Pete Hegseth], the U.S. military is once again focused on being a lethal killing machine."
The draft of the annual authorization legislation passed the House Armed Services Committee last week, which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised.
"The Department of War will officially be restored soon," he wrote on X.
According to Politico, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that a full rebrand of the department could cost as much as $125 million.
The NDAA still has to pass the full Senate.
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