Congressional Budget Office analysis says renaming – which Congress must approve – would cost US taxpayers millions
Renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War could cost US taxpayers as much as $125m depending on how broadly and quickly the change is made, according to an analysis released Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office.
Donald Trump signed an executive order in September that authorized the Department of War as a secondary title for the Pentagon. At the time, Trump said the switch was intended to signal to the world that the US was a force to be reckoned with, and he complained that the Department of Defense’s name was “woke”.
Indeed, the order came as the military began its campaign of deadly airstrikes against alleged drug-carrying boats in South America. Since then, a stunning military operation has captured ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and the Trump administration has threatened military action in places from Iran to Greenland.
Congress has to formally approve a new name for the department, and it has shown no serious interest in doing so. Nevertheless, Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, embraced the rebrand and proceeded to use it immediately on several signs after Trump’s order.
