# Congress Weighs Department of War Name Change

The Pentagon is urging Congress to retain provisions in the current-year National Defense Authorization Act that would codify the Department of Defense’s name change to the Department of War. House and Senate Armed Services Committee drafts include related measures, but enactment is not established. The Pentagon estimates implementation would cost nearly $52 million, while the Congressional Budget Office estimates costs could reach $125 million; no specific solicitation or contract award is identified.

- Contractors supporting DoD systems, communications, or materials should assess whether a statutory name change could require updates to agency references and related deliverables.
- The differing cost estimates indicate potentially significant implementation expense, but the signals do not identify a defined procurement or funding opportunity.
- Companies can use the final NDAA outcome to determine whether any agency naming changes affect existing contract requirements or future planning.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Policy
**Published:** October 26, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- U.S. House Armed Services Committee (HASC)
- U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)
- Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
- U.S. Congress

### Sources
- [Pentagon seeks to codify Department of War name in defense bill](https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6172772-pentagon-pushes-department-war-name/amp) - The Hill