House panel advances $1.1T defense spending bill with Department of War name change
Key takeaways
- The bill advanced out of committee Wednesday on a 34-27 party-line vote, handing President Trump a third win in his bid to officially rename the department.
- Hegseth has reportedly interfered in the promotion of several female and minority officers.
- Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), who sponsored the provision to rename the Pentagon, echoed the administration s argument that changing the moniker signals a stronger military.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
The bill advanced out of committee Wednesday on a 34-27 party-line vote, handing President Trump a third win in his bid to officially rename the department. The House and Senate Armed Services committees also included language in their defense authorization bills to rebrand the building that has held the same title for nearly 80 years.
The House Appropriations Committee adopted the provision while debating its military funding bill, with the Republican-controlled panel knocking down every single amendment offered by Democrats over the nearly eight-hour meeting.
Those that were rejected included amendments meant to limit troop withdrawals from Europe, block Trump s deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and force Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to justify his ongoing decisions to withhold certain senior officers promotions. Hegseth has reportedly interfered in the promotion of several female and minority officers.