Gop Senators Push To Take Out Provision In Defense Bill To Draft Women In Military

Eight Republican senators sent a letter to the top negotiators for the annual defense bill asking them to take out a provision that would require women to register for the Selective Service System (SSS), which compiles a registry that can be used to draft Americans if authorized by Congress or the president in a state of war or other emergency.

In the Thursday letter, led by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the senators said they were in "strong opposition" to the provision in the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would force women to register for the SSS.

While the senators said they understand that "American women have a proud legacy of service" in the country through volunteering, they were concerned that the Biden administration and Democrats were moving to "discard this longstanding tradition and force women to fight in wars against their own will."

"America’s daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers can decide to join the military themselves," they wrote. "President Trump ran in part on a platform of avoiding World War III and ending the progressive policies infecting our military."

"The American people gave him a resounding electoral mandate," they continued. "The Senate should prioritize America’s national security instead of turning defense legislation into a tool of liberal social policy."

The letter was signed by GOP Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Steve Daines (Mont.), James Lankford (Okla.), Mike Lee (Utah), Roger Marshall (Kan.) and Eric Schmitt (Mo.). It was addressed to Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

The Senate version of the NDAA would require automatic SSS registration for all citizens, including women, when they turn 18 years old. The House version does not include that provision.

Similar measures have been proposed in the past but have not passed Congress.

Currently, only men are registered by the SSS, but a draft has not been activated since the Vietnam War.

As of 2021, women made up around 17 percent of the military, and they serve in all roles that men do, including for combat, which was opened up for them in 2015.

The National Commission on Military, National and Public Service reported to Congress in 2020 that requiring a registration for women is "a necessary and fair step, making it possible to draw on the talent of a unified Nation in a time of national emergency."

The House and Senate must conference before releasing a joint NDAA that will go through each legislative chamber before heading to the president's desk. The defense bill is usually passed at the end of the year.