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Pentagon Seeks Law To Rename Itself Department Of War, Costing $52 Million
On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the Pentagon urged Congress to codify renaming itself the Department of War, saying the change would cost $52 million.
The request arrived in a formal submission to lawmakers and presented the estimated $52 million as the budget needed to implement the legal name change.
The filing is the department's most direct public appeal to Congress to make the name change official, and lawmakers must now decide whether to act and to provide the requested funding.
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📌 Key Facts
- On April 28, 2026, the Pentagon submitted a formal legislative proposal asking Congress to codify renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
- The department now estimates about $52 million in implementation costs, versus a prior Congressional Budget Office estimate of up to $125 million.
- The proposal specifies $44.6M for Defense Agencies and field activities, $3.5M for the military departments, $3M for the Secretary of War’s office and Washington Headquarters Services, and $400,000 for the Joint Staff, combatant commands and the National Guard Bureau.
- The Pentagon says the rebranding will require around 7,600 changes to federal law and has already updated its website and social media to reflect the new name.
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