An “unlikely coalition of feminists, veterans and conservatives” are on the verge of passing a bill that would require women to register for the military draft when they turn 18, according to Axios.
An amendment to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act – which has already passed the House and may pass the Senate as soon as this week – would force the change.
A majority of Americans are opposed to making women register for the draft, but the idea has support from a variety of groups across the political spectrum.
The left-leaning ACLU calls the men-only registration “one of the last examples of overt sex discrimination written into our federal law.”
Reporting on the perspective from conservatives, The Washington Post writes:
More right-leaning organizations emphasize national security preparedness. And indeed, government reports — such as a March 2020 report from the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service — suggest that including women would deliver national security benefits.
While these right-leaning groups and policymakers haven’t echoed the left’s concerns about equity, they have found common ground by emphasizing the range of skills women bring to the military. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) supports the amendment, emphasizing that the United States would “need everybody” in a crisis requiring the draft.
If the amendment requiring women to register for the draft passes, Axios writes it “would certainly represent a major cultural milestone as women take on greater nontraditional and leadership roles across all facets of American life, from politics to industry to the military.”
But about a dozen GOP senators oppose the amendment. More from Axios:
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-M0.) is driving an amendment to strip the new requirement from the NDAA, and about a dozen GOP senators either have joined Hawley’s effort or previously said they oppose requiring women to register.
They cite a mix of concerns about women’s safety, implications for national security and allusions to broader culture wars in U.S. politics, such as the debate over whether transgender athletes should be able to compete in women’s sports.
In an opinion piece for The Hill, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Republican from Missouri, also expressed her objections to including women in the draft:
…using women as a chess piece in a political “equality” argument is not only misguided but is insulting to our female population. Since the draft was last used in the 1970s, women have expanded their reach by impacting our nation in multiple ways, including as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and, yes, as valuable members of our military. In fact, females comprise 17 percent of our current fighting force — voluntarily — and will continue to serve admirably. Our nation needs them.
Women are valuable, precious, appreciated, and — most importantly — already equal. Claiming the inclusion of women in the draft would prove “equality” is ridiculous.
Roll Call provides important context:
The United States has used some form of conscription since the Revolutionary War. A draft system was used during World War I, and the nation’s first-ever peacetime draft was held in 1940 prior to the American entry into World War II. Ten million men were drafted during World War II. From the end of WWII until 1973, men were drafted to fill vacancies in the military.
The Selective Service went into a “standby” period after 1973, but registration resumed in 1980. Since then, young men not yet old enough to legally drink have had to register with the agency within 30 days of their 18th birthday and are eligible for a draft until they turn 26.
