Senate Showdown Over Women in the Draft

The U.S. Senate is gearing up for an intense showdown over a bill provision that would require women to register alongside men for the military draft.

Proponents for the universal draft are regrouping after suffering a setback in the House last week, when Congress removed possible provisions from the defense policy bill that would require women to register for the draft exactly as men do. Supporters say that because women already are allowed to serve in combat roles, there should be no legal arguments that prevent them from signing up for the draft alongside their male counterparts.

“Given where we are today, with women in the military performing virtually all kinds of functions, I personally think it would be appropriate for them to register just like men do.”

“Given where we are today, with women in the military performing virtually all kinds of functions, I personally think it would be appropriate for them to register just like men do,” said Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “We’re talking here about registration for the Selective Service should we ever go back to the draft.”

Nevertheless, the House and the Senate must reach an agreement on a version of the National Defense Authorization Act later this year, even as gender-neutral draft supporters push for the Selective Service registration requirements to reach President Barack Obama’s desk, according to The Hill.

Although the U.S. military ended its draft in 1973, the issue over whether women should register for it if it once again became necessary in a national emergency arose when Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced in December that women would be eligible for filling all military roles. Prior to Carter’s announcement, 220,000 positions – including those in infantry, armor, reconnaissance, and selective special operations units – had been unavailable for women.

“It stands to reason that Congress is going to have to think this through and would have to change the law accordingly,” Carter said. “I expect them to take this up.”

With these new doors opened to women, the issue of the gender-neutral draft was brought to lawmakers’ attention.

“Women are now integrated in the military fully. They’ve performed exceptionally well,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). “I don’t think you’d want to take half of the population off the table — understanding the military is not going to put somebody in a situation they can’t handle.”

But many in both the House and Senate vehemently reject the notion that women should be “forced” to sign up for the draft alongside men, arguing that there should still be some distinctions between men and women.

“I cannot in good conscience vote to draft our daughters into the military, sending them off to war and forcing them into combat.”

“I cannot in good conscience vote to draft our daughters into the military, sending them off to war and forcing them into combat,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in a statement, adding that he would “continue my efforts to speak out against the effort to force America’s daughters into combat.”

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio expressed a more nuanced view of the issue in his remarks.

“I do believe that [the] Selective Service should be opened up for both men and women in case a draft is ever instituted,” Rubio said, although he later added, “I do not support drafting women and forcing them to be combat soldiers. I don’t support that. I never have and I don’t now.”