US EditionDepartment of War name change could cost as much as $125M: CBO
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Pentagon’s rebranding costs range from $10 million to $125 million, with statutory renaming potentially costing hundreds of millions.
- On Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office released an assessment after requests from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., warning its estimate is uncertain because the Pentagon did not provide implementation plans.
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order last September directing the Pentagon to use the Department of War title and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth installed a plaque Nov. 13, 2025.
- The CBO estimates $125 million if the name change is applied broadly, and $10 million for a modest implementation within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, based on 30-day expenses of $1.9 million, the CBO said.
- Legislatively, the change faces hurdles as Congress must formally approve the new name; legislation by Mike Lee, Rick Scott and Marsha Blackburn shortly after the order has stalled.
- Pentagon officials responded that 'This has always been our mission, and while we hope for peace, we will prepare for war', despite Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., criticizing the cost as potentially 'upward of $125 million'.
134 Articles
134 Articles
Trump's ‘Department of War’ Rebranding Could Cost $125 Million
Rebranding the Department of Defense (DoD) to the “Department of War,” as President Donald Trump has directed, could cost taxpayers as much as $125 million, a new report estimates. The report, released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Wednesday, estimates the cost of officially renaming the DoD if Congress passes the necessary legislation to do so, rather than if the Trump Administration makes the “Department of War” a secondary title…
Name change could cost $125M
WASHINGTON — Renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War could cost U.S. taxpayers as much as $125 million, depending on how broadly and quickly the change is made, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office.
Changing the name of the Department of Defense would involve the federal government in spending at least $125 million.
Pentagon rebrand to ‘Department of War’ could cost taxpayers $125 million
The Trump administration’s push to rebrand the Pentagon as the "Department of War" could cost anywhere from $10 million to as much as $125 million, according to a new estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO warns that a full, legally binding name change approved by Congress could ultimately push the price even higher — potentially into the hundreds of millions. The estimate lands squarely in the middle of a political fight over De…
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