Department of War Restoration Act of 2025
This bill would rename the Department of Defense (DoD) as the Department of War and designate its head as the Secretary of War. It also directs that any current reference to the Department of Defense or the Secretary of Defense in any law, rule, regulation, or official document in force at the time of enactment should be understood as referring to the Department of War and the Secretary of War, respectively. In short, the change is largely a branding and title shift rather than a substantive restructuring of military authority or responsibilities. There are no funding provisions or explicit reorganizational provisions in the bill, so the operational scope and functions of the department would appear to remain the same on paper, merely under a different name and leadership title.
Key Points
- 1Redesignates the Department of Defense as the Department of War.
- 2The head of the department becomes the Secretary of War (instead of the Secretary of Defense).
- 3All existing references to the DoD or the Secretary of Defense in current law would be treated as references to the Department of War and the Secretary of War.
- 4The bill does not alter powers, duties, or authority of the department beyond the name/title change (no new programs or funding specified).
- 5Requires broad statutory alignment across federal law, potentially triggering administrative updates to statutes, regulations, and official documents.