President Trump signed an executive order last year to return the department to its pre-1949 name.
The Pentagon is urging Congress to include measures in the annual defense policy bill to formally authorize the restoration of the Department of Defense’s name to the former “Department of War.” This aligns with President Trump’s executive order last year authorizing the name change, as the title change from “Secretary of Defense” to “Secretary of War.” The War Department was originally established by President George Washington in 1789 and was renamed the “Defense Department” in 1949.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in an op-ed, “The president has acted. Now Congress must finish the job. The House and the Senate Armed Services Committee have both backed restoring the Department of War name in this year’s defense bill. Lawmakers should keep it in the final version and send it to the president’s desk. The name of the institution that sends Americans to fight belongs in law, not just in an executive order.”
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the name change could cost up to $125 million, but would not significantly affect the president’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for members of Congress as they determine whether to grant the administration’s request to restore the previous title of the department.
- For Secretary Pete Hegseth as he heads the Pentagon and Defense Department.
- For President Trump to be led by the Lord as he heads the U.S. Armed Forces as commander-in-chief.
Sources: The Hill, Fox News
