Congress (again) moves to remove Confederate names from military bases

WASHINGTON — Democrats are leading the charge to add language to a sweeping military policy bill renaming bases named for Confederates, putting Georgia U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, a Republican, in a complicated position.

On one hand, Scott was a member of the bipartisan commission that four years ago recommended removing the Confederate names from the bases, and he still defends its work. But he voted against the Democrats’ amendment, saying he thinks it may be too heavy-handed as Congress continues to iron out details of the National Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping military policy bill that is expected to be approved by the end of the year.

“I think it has potential to put the whole bill at risk,” Scott, R-Tifton, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I certainly support the work of the commission. I think the commission did their job. But I don’t expect major changes in the base names under the current administration.”

President Donald Trump, who restored these bases back to the original names shortly after returning to the White House in 2025, has not said how he would respond if the renaming language is included in the NDAA.

He vetoed the bill in 2020 partially because it included the original language creating the commission. Congress overrode that decision in 2021, allowing the new names to take shape.

The president threatened another veto last year when similar language restoring the base names was inserted in an early draft. The provision was ultimately removed.

Democrats are moving forward again this year with the help of moderate Republicans who provided enough votes for the amendment to pass during last week’s House Armed Services Committee meeting.

Under the change, Georgia’s Fort Benning would again be known as Fort Moore, the name of a philanthropic couple with ties to the base. The renaming commission originally called for Fort Gordon to become Fort Eisenhower, named after the former president.

When Trump gave their bases back their original names, he said he was honoring more noble Americans who just happened to share the surnames of the Confederates. Fort Benning is now named for World War I hero Fred Benning.

Fort Gordon now honors Gary Gordon, one of the heroes of the Battle of Mogadishu. Under the new plan, a second soldier credited in the battle, Randall Shughart, would also be recognized and the base would be called Fort Shughart-Gordon.

The plan calls for Fort Benning to revert again to being named Fort Moore after Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore.

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland, the Washington Democrat who introduced the change, said during the committee’s debate that the original commission rejected the idea of keeping the Confederate names on bases.

Strickland said her proposal creates another opportunity for Congress to honor heroes and ensure the bases carry names that everyone can be proud of.

“We talk about wanting to respect every person who wears the uniform. It is now 2026, not 1956,” she said.

One Republican on the committee, Rep. John McGuire of Virginia, said that he opposed the amendment because he supported the Trump administration’s effort to restore the decades-old base names without the direct ties to Confederates.

“Our history should be taught, not erased — the good and bad,” McGuire said.

The House Armed Services Committee later that evening voted in favor of Strickland’s amendment. Senators will likely consider a similar amendment when the bill comes up for discussion in that chamber, although it’s not clear if there is enough GOP support for it to pass there.