CBO: Renaming Pentagon 'Department of War' Could Cost Up to $125 Million
Congress' budget office estimates renaming the Department of Defense to 'Department of War' could cost $10 million to $125 million depending on scope and speed.
Overview
Who and what: CBO produced the estimate after requests from Sens. Chuck Schumer and Jeff Merkley, following President Trump's executive order authorizing 'Department of War' as a secondary title.
Cost range: CBO estimated roughly $10 million for a modest, phased implementation limited to the Office of the Secretary, rising to about $125 million for broad, rapid renaming across agencies.
What costs include: replacing signage, seals, digital templates, stationery and ceremonial materials across more than 6.5 million square feet of Pentagon space and supporting defense organizations worldwide.
Political context: Some Republican senators introduced legislation to formalize the change; Congress has shown little interest. Democrats called the effort wasteful and performative.
Next steps and uncertainty: A statutory name change requires congressional approval; the Pentagon provided limited cost data and may phase changes as existing stocks are exhausted or absorb costs internally.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story pragmatically as a fiscal and political critique: they foreground the CBO cost estimate and congressional disinterest, prioritize officials’ actions (sign changes, website swap) and note partisan requests for analysis. Quotes contain evaluative language, but editorial emphasis and selective context create a skeptical framing of the renaming.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The Congressional Budget Office estimates costs from $10 million for a modest, phased implementation limited to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, up to $125 million for broad and rapid changes across the department, and potentially hundreds of millions for a full statutory renaming.
The estimate was requested by Senate Democrats, including Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
President Trump signed an executive order in September authorizing 'Department of War' as a secondary title for the Pentagon, aiming to signal strength and restore a pre-postwar name.
Costs include replacing signage, seals, digital templates, stationery, nameplates, name badges, parking permits, challenge coins, and ceremonial materials across Pentagon spaces and worldwide organizations.
Yes, a statutory name change requires congressional approval; some Republican senators introduced legislation, but Democrats have called it wasteful and performative, with little congressional interest shown.
History
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