The Pentagon is asking Congress to codify its "Department of War" rebranding even as it continues tallying roughly $50 million in implementation costs and faces lawmaker skepticism over the move's symbolism and authority.

A new Defense Department legislative proposal asserts that renaming the department would have “no significant impact” on future spending, but acknowledges that “actual costs are being collected” as implementation of the DOW renaming continues through fiscal year 2026. The department estimates roughly $50 million has already been spent across military services and defense-wide organizations, with the largest share -- about $44.6 million -- tied to agencies and field activities responsible for enterprise systems, infrastructure and administrative support.

In January, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that implementing the renaming of DOD could cost as much as $125 million or more depending on the scope of the change.

The proposal would make roughly 7,600 conforming changes to federal law, replacing references to the “Department of Defense” and its senior leadership with “Department of War” and “Secretary of War,” effectively codifying a renaming effort already underway following a September 2025 executive order in which President Trump authorized DOW as a “secondary” name.

“The revision to the designation of the Department serves as a fundamental reminder of the importance and reverence of our core mission, to fight and win wars. It serves as a strategic objective in which to measure and prioritize all activities,” according to the proposal.

While legislation to rename the Pentagon the “Department of War” has been introduced in Congress, it has yet to gain traction, leaving the department’s ongoing rebranding effort without statutory backing.

Some lawmakers have been openly hostile to renaming DOD, criticizing the broad use of DOW among Trump administration officials and nominees. The DOW moniker has also been widely adopted by defense contractors seeking to do business with government.

Sen. Angus King (I-ME), however, has been one of the most publicly vocal opponents on the renaming.

During a September 18, 2025, confirmation hearing, King criticized defense nominees who used the DOW name saying he was confused as they said they were going to “work for a department that doesn’t exist.”

“If that name of that department is going to be changed,” he said, “it has to start right here. Congress has established the department. It’s the department of defense.”

More recently King penned an April 7 op-ed in TIME again asserting congressional authority and rejecting the DOW name.

When Trump signed his executive order authorizing DOW as a secondary name, he said using “Defense Department” is too “politically correct” and “wokey.”

“It has to do with winning,” he said. “We should have won every war. We could have won every war. We really chose to be a very politically correct or wokey and we just fight forever.”