Lawmakers are again considering changes to the U.S. military draft, including a provision to begin requiring women to register with the Selective Service System.
The proposed changes to the draft come about as the Democrat-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives are each advancing their proposals for the fiscal year 2025 version of an annual defense budget bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s proposal for the NDAA includes a provision to amend the Military Selective Service Act—the 1948 law overseeing the modern U.S. military draft system—to require women to register their names for potential use in the draft should the conscription practice resume.
The military draft system fell out of use in 1973 as the military transitioned to an all-volunteer force. Male U.S. residents have still had to register their names in the draft system after they turned 18 in the decades since the military transitioned to a volunteer force. The age requirement would be the same for women.
“There is no draft. But there should be an end to the notion that women are less critical to our national defense than men,” Mr. Reed said. “And if the day ever comes where we need a draft, it will certainly require the skill, courage, and talent of men and women alike.”
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said proponents of including women in the draft system can make their case, but he believes those arguments “don’t carry the day.”
“Right now women can serve in any role they want to in the military, and that’s great, and that should be allowed. But it’s different to be able to do a selective service draft and say, ‘now we’re going to be able to push you into combat; now we’re going to push you into other places,’” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told The Epoch Times.
While some lawmakers have expressed opposition to expanding the draft registration requirement to women, others argued that a requirement shouldn’t exist for men either.
“I have been opposed to the draft just in general,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told The Epoch Times on Thursday.
He was joined in that view by Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
“We have an all-volunteer military, and I think it’s time to acknowledge that we don’t need to draft anybody,” Ms. Lummis said. “So I just think the better approach right now is either to leave things as they are—not draft women but not draft men either.”
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned the underlying motives behind the push to include women, given the U.S. military has been an all-volunteer force for the past half-century.
“Our recruitment and retention numbers are so bad in the military right now I think some of these folks are inching toward the position that maybe we’re gonna need to reinstitute the draft, so they’re trying to get their hands on as many Americans as possible,” the Missouri Republican told The Epoch Times.
The Epoch Times reached out to the rest of the majority on the Senate Armed Services Committee for their comment on the proposal to include women in the draft, but they did not respond by press time.
