The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced legislation this week that would formally rename the "Department of Defense" as the "Department of War."

The move was approved during the panel's mark-up of its 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed out of committee late Wednesday night in an 18-9 split.

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said he voted against the legislation and described the move to codify the rebranding of the Pentagon as "juvenile," according to Politico.

“It’s a juvenile move that sadly describes the reality of a president who has abandoned meaningful diplomacy in favor of starting doubtful wars in multiple locations and threatening even more,” he said in a statement.

The rebranding move comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year that allowed the department to use the moniker. But Congress will need to vote to make it permanent. 

The War Department was renamed the Department of Defense in 1947 after the consolidation of myriad service branches under the same administrative head. 

The House Armed Services Committee also passed a similar amendment to its version of the NDAA last week. 

The NDAA is typically regarded as a "must pass" piece of legislation, though the House and Senate versions often differ, and it remains unclear whether the rebrand will reach the president's desk.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.