The House Armed Services Committee advanced the Trump administration's effort to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War on Thursday night, approving the annual Pentagon spending bill after a marathon session.

The committee passed the $1.5 trillion National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2027 by a 44-12 vote after 14 hours of debate.

Attached to the bill is an amendment from Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a close ally of President Donald Trump, stating that "any reference to the Secretary of Defense or Department of Defense in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the Secretary of War or Department of War, respectively."

The amendment was approved on a party-line vote.

"American exceptionalism is BACK! During tonight's @HASCRepublicans NDAA markup, my amendment to RESTORE the name and legacy of the Department of War passed," Jackson wrote on X. "Proud to deliver on this priority and advance policies that put America First!!"

Congress created the War Department in 1789, led by a secretary of war, and it remained that way until 1947. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 permanently changed the name to the Department of Defense, led by a secretary of defense.

Trump signed an executive order in September authorizing the use of the Department of War in place of the Department of Defense.

The order stated the name change "ensures peace through strength, as it demonstrates our ability and willingness to fight and win wars on behalf of our Nation at a moment's notice, not just to defend."

It also stated the new name "sharpens the Department's focus on our own national interest and our adversaries' focus on our willingness and availability to wage war to secure what is ours."

"Thank you @RepRonnyJackson," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote Friday on X. "The Department of War will officially be restored soon."

Critics have argued the move is largely symbolic and would carry a significant price tag.

A legislative proposal submitted by the Pentagon in April estimated the renaming effort would cost $52.5 million.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated costs could range from $10 million for a limited implementation to as much as $125 million if the change were implemented broadly and rapidly throughout the department.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, dismissed the notion that the Department of War name "strikes fear" in the hearts of America's enemies.

"I wish our adversaries were that stupid," he said, according to Stars and Stripes. "Oh my God, the War Department! They must be serious now!"

The NDAA now heads to the full House and will be reconciled with the Senate's version of the legislation, where the renaming provision faces strong opposition from Democrats.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to debate and vote on its draft of the defense bill next week, and final passage of the legislation is expected by the end of the year.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the committee, blasted Trump's executive order on the name change, telling WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, in September, "It's a superficial attempt to get attention and divert the public from more pressing problems.

"It's like buying new drapes when the plumbing doesn't work. It's not addressing the issues that confront the United States, and there is absolutely no reason to change the name. It will also cost millions and millions of dollars to do that, and so this is a multimillion-dollar gesture without meaning."