House Committee On Armed Services backs War rename in 44-12 vote
The House committee on armed services voted along party lines to permanently rename the Department of Defense the Department of War during a marathon late-night session. Ronny Jackson introduced the amendment, and the measure now moves into the annual defense policy bill, where it still needs approval from both chambers of Congress.
Ronny Jackson Amendment
Jackson, a Republican representative from Texas, said restoring the old name would send “an unmistakable signal to the world.” He also argued, “Deterrence only works when adversaries believe America is willing to fight and win to secure its interests.” The committee action codifies an executive order Trump signed last fall and ties the rename to the broader National Defense Authorization Act.
The military bureaucracy last used the Department of War name in the 1940s. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a full renaming could run as high as $125 million, giving the proposal a concrete price tag as lawmakers move it through the defense bill.
Adam Smith Opposition
Adam Smith, the Washington representative who is the committee’s top Democrat, called the effort “one of the dumbest things that has been done by this administration.” He also said, “It’s semantic nonsense at a time when we have a lot of substantive arguments.”
The broader National Defense Authorization Act cleared the committee in a bipartisan 44-12 vote, but the renaming itself was advanced on party lines. Representative Pat Ryan voted against the broader bill and called the renaming “performative bulls--t,” adding, “I think ending on that performative note summed up the whole situation.”
Senate Path Ahead
Hegseth posted after the vote that “The Department of War will officially be restored soon.” The legal name does not change until both chambers approve the measure, and the Senate is expected to resist the renaming effort. For now, the proposal leaves lawmakers with a choice between advancing the defense bill with the rename attached or stripping it out later in the process.
