House Panel Backs ‘Department of War’ Rename in $1.15 Trillion Defense Bill

The House Armed Services Committee voted late Thursday to pass a sweeping defense policy bill that authorizes $1.15 trillion in military programs and advances a proposal to make President Donald Trump’s “Department of War” rebrand permanent.

The panel’s 44-12 vote just before midnight comes at a time of increasing friction between the Republican-controlled Congress and Trump’s administration over national security matters. But the bill could hand the president a major victory by cementing the renaming of the Defense Department, which he ordered by executive action last year. Democrats cast all of the “no” votes.

The bill includes several measures that push back against the Pentagon, including a mandate to restore military base names selected by Congress’ bipartisan renaming commission, new reporting requirements when senior military officers are fired and restrictions on the construction of the Navy’s proposed “Trump-class” battleship.

Overall, the 1,300-page bill calls for a 7% pay raise for many military members, with raises ranging from 5% to 7% across the force. Lawmakers said the bill would revamp the Pentagon’s procurement system to encourage greater competition and help emerging defense technology companies win military contracts, a goal shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“We’re breaking down the barriers that prevent small and agile businesses from working with the Pentagon,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama), the chair of the House Armed Services Committee. “We’re creating new jobs and helping Americans build advanced technical skills, and we’re giving industry the certainty it needs to invest, expand, and produce faster.”

While Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the committee’s top Democrat, praised the attempt at reforms, he and other Democrats argued it backed a bloated Pentagon budget proposal that’s out of step with voters’ pocketbook needs and fails to pivot to cost-effective technologies.

“This idea that somehow we are going to dominate the entire world, and if we have someone who disagrees with us, we’re going to bend them to our will through the sheer size of our military, is dangerous as hell as a starting point,” Smith said. “And second, we can’t afford it, and I think that’s what we’ve run into in Iran.”

The legislation, which typically passes Congress on a bipartisan basis, is not in its final form. It now heads to the House floor, where lawmakers can amend it. The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to begin its own closed-door markup this week, after which lawmakers will negotiate a final compromise measure. The NDAA has been enacted for more than six decades and is one of Congress’s most reliable annual bills.

HASC Democrats forced several debates to put Republicans on record ahead of midterm elections in November, but they had an uphill fight because Republicans hold a 30-27 majority.

What’s in a Name?

Lawmakers voted on party lines to greenlight a measure to legally rename the Defense Department the “Department of War” from Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican and Trump ally. “Restoring the name Department of War sends an unmistakable signal to the world,” Jackson said. “Potential adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran evaluate American resolve through both our capabilities and our messaging. Deterrence only works when adversaries believe America is willing to fight and win to secure its interests.”

Democrats derided it as expensive political theater and an embrace of misguided militarism that would not deter adversaries. “I really think this is one of the dumbest things that has been done by this administration,” Smith said.

The U.S. had a Department of War until 1947, when the Truman administration split the Army and Air Force into separate military branches and joined them with the then-independent Navy to form a new agency, the Department of Defense, according to the agency’s website.

The panel also adopted a Democratic amendment to restore the names chosen by Congress’ bipartisan base renaming commission after the Trump administration reverted several installations to names resembling their former Confederate designations.

Supporters called the administration’s move a rebuke of Congress and an effort to stop honoring Confederate leaders, while several Republicans argued the changes preserved tradition and mattered little to troops. Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Carlos Gimenez of Florida voted with Democrats to carry the amendment.

Targeting Pentagon Shakeups

Lawmakers on Thursday included language to mandate the Pentagon to notify Congress within five days whenever a four-star general or admiral is removed from a top position. The Pentagon would have to provide a written explanation detailing the reasons for the officer’s dismissal.

The measure marks a rebuke of the Trump administration, which has, with little explanation, fired Joint Chiefs Chair CQ Brown and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, among other top officers. Hegseth has also removed from promotion lists officers who have already been vetted and approved.

The panel rejected an amendment that would only allow the president to overturn a promotion board recommendation, cutting out the defense secretary and deputy defense secretary. Washington Democrat Rep. Marilyn Strickland’s amendment, aimed at protecting the traditional promotions process, attracted fiery support from Rep. Austin Scott (R-Georgia).

“I suggest that if the secretary of defense wants to have a good relationship with the members of Congress, then perhaps he should respond to the questions that the members of Congress ask,” Scott said. “The removal of those officers is unacceptable, and I believe that the secretary owes an answer to the officers and to the end of this committee of why they were removed.”

‘Trump-class’ Battleship

Lawmakers would pump the brakes on the Navy’s new “Trump-class” battleship, which is expected to cost $43 billion for the first three. The bill would require the Navy to certify that the ship’s technologies are mature enough before construction begins, reflecting problems that have plagued other shipbuilding programs.

The panel rejected Smith’s amendment to slash $1 billion from the program, which Democrats derided as a wasteful vanity project, questioning whether the Navy should be funding construction materials without a finished design.

Budget Battles

The panel rejected an amendment from Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Massachusetts) to slash the bill’s topline, which Democrats used to criticize Trump’s push for a $1.5 trillion defense budget as fiscally irresponsible without a corresponding tax increase. Rogers argued it would gut modernization and readiness funds.

The panel also defeated Moulton’s amendment requiring the administration to be transparent about the cost of the Iran war, as Democratic Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Don Davis of North Carolina joined Republicans in voting it down.

Right-to-Repair

Popular “right to repair” provisions giving service members the ability to fix their own equipment were stripped from the 2026 NDAA following strong industry pushback.

But HASC lawmakers on Thursday adopted a like-minded amendment from Reps. Pat Harrigan (R-North Carolina) and Maggie Goodlander (D-New Hampshire), to require contractors to provide the military with greater access to parts and the technical data needed for troops to fix already purchased equipment.

Backers said the measure would reduce contractor lock-in and help repairs move faster, while opponents argued it risked undermining intellectual property protections and would discourage innovative firms from doing business with the Pentagon.

Use of Force

The panel rejected an amendment from Rep. Pat Ryan (D-New York) that would bar funding for military operations in Iran without congressional authorization. While Democrats argued it was a step to reassert Congress’ war powers, Republicans argued it would restrict the military’s ability to respond to Iranian attacks on U.S. troops and allies.

The panel rejected an amendment that would require the Pentagon to release video of the “double-tap” strike off Venezuela that killed two men after an initial strike on their boat. Rep. Bill Keating (D-Massachusetts) called it a “textbook” war crime, while Republicans said Congress shouldn’t second-guess the counter-drug mission.