Sarasota Review

U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) have introduced legislation to rename the Department of Defense as the “Department of War.” The proposed bill, called the Department of War Restoration Act, would also change the title of Secretary of Defense to Secretary of War.

“From 1789 until the end of World War II, the United States military fought under the banner of the Department of War,” said Rep. Steube. “Thanks to their courage and sacrifice, the standard of excellence was established for all servicemembers who followed in their footsteps. It is only fitting that we pay tribute to their eternal example and renowned commitment to lethality by restoring the name of the ‘Department of War’ to our Armed Forces.”

Senator Lee added, “For the first 150 years of our military’s history, Americans defeated their enemies and protected their country under the War Department. I’m proud to introduce the Department of War Restoration Act to make President Trump’s return to tradition permanent in federal law. It should always be clear to anyone who would harm our people: Americans don’t just play defense.”

The legislation aims to revert back to historical naming conventions used prior to 1947 when Congress reorganized military departments under a single Department of Defense.