Pentagon Spokesman Presses Congress to Make “Department of War” Name Permanent

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called on Congress Monday to make permanent the Department of War name that President Trump restored by executive order in September 2025. The order authorized “Department of War” and “Secretary of War” as secondary titles for the Department of Defense and its secretary; the department has used the titles in signage, websites, and official communications.

Parnell stated that Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth “had the conviction to call us the Department of War and say it plainly: America’s military exists to deter war through strength and, if necessary, fight and win.” He added that the President has acted and that Congress must now “finish the job and enshrine the Department of War name in law.” He described the change as a restoration of the name used from 1789 until the post-World War II reorganization, not a new invention.

The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced a resolution earlier this year that would have approved the permanent renaming, but the language did not survive into the final 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. House and Senate Armed Services panels have previously backed restoration language. Republican lawmakers, including Sens. Mike Lee and Rick Scott, introduced related bills after the executive order.

The 1949 National Security Act amendments established the Department of Defense name in statute. Trump’s order directed Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive steps needed for a permanent change. The department has already installed new bronze plaques at Pentagon entrances and updated internal and external references.

Parnell’s statement and an accompanying Fox News op-ed framed the name as clarifying the mission to adversaries and allies alike. Critics have called the shift symbolic; the department maintains it reflects a focus on lethality and readiness.