The Pentagon has formally asked Congress to scrap the Department of Defence name and replace it with the Department of War, submitting a legislative proposal that the Congressional Budget Office projects could cost up to £92.5 million ($125 million) and require roughly 7,600 edits to existing federal law.
The Department of Defence's Office of General Counsel sent the proposal to Capitol Hill on 13 April 2026, seeking to codify into statute the 'Department of War' secondary title that President Donald Trump introduced by executive order in September 2025. The Pentagon's own cost estimate sits considerably lower, at approximately £38.5 million ($52 million) in spending to date, with a final accounting expected once fiscal year 2026 closes.
