In a move that has sparked considerable debate, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has proposed a provision in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require women to register for the draft.
This amendment to the NDAA would mean that both men and women aged 18 to 26 would be automatically registered for selective service, a significant departure from the current system established in 1980, which allows young men the option to sign up for the draft.
According to Gateway Pundit, the version of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the House of Representatives differs from the version advanced by the Senate Armed Services Committee. In May, the FY25 NDAA received robust bipartisan support when it was approved by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) with a vote of 57 to 1.
The House of Representatives recently approved its version of the bill, which would automatically register men aged 18 to 26 for selective service. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), a former Air Force officer, and endorsed by HASC Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), would replace the existing system from 1980.
The House-approved bill, which passed with a vote of 217 to 199, now moves to the Senate for further consideration. Among those votes, 211 Republicans supported the measure, while Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Thomas Massie (KY), and Matt Rosendale (MT) voted against it. Conversely, 196 Democrats voted against the bill, with six breaking ranks to vote in favor.
On the Senate side, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) advanced the NDAA with a 22-3 vote. U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) issued statements highlighting the bipartisan nature of the bill, despite Reeds own vote against it due to concerns over budget caps and potential harm to military funding.
The proposal states, Amends the Military Selective Service Act to require the registration of women for Selective Service. Senators Reed and Wicker, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that the Committee voted 22-3 to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for consideration.
Senator Reed stated: I am glad that this years NDAA makes important progress in a number of areas, including a well-deserved pay raise for military servicemembers, powerful new security initiatives in the Indo-Pacific, and significant support for technologies like counter-drone defenses and AI. However, I regret that I needed to vote against passage of this bill because it includes a funding increase that cannot be appropriated without breaking lawful spending caps and causing unintended harm to our military. I appreciate the need for greater defense spending to ensure our national security, but I cannot support this approach."
Senator Wicker also commented: This bill shows there is bipartisan support for doing more to maintain deterrence and protect American interests. I am encouraged that many of my colleagues have joined me in the conversation about the need to invest more in our national defense. I look forward to discussing the peace through strength vision I have laid out in the months to come. This years NDAA results are a testament to the tradition of bipartisanship, vigorous debate, and good working order on which this committee prides itself.
The approval of the committee is the first step in a months-long process to establish defense funding levels and set policies for the Defense Department and the Energy Departments national security programs. The bill must now be debated and voted on by the full U.S. Senate. A separate measure will make its way through the U.S. House of Representatives.
Once both the Senate and House pass their versions of the bill, they must then be reconciled in a bicameral conference committee, and then approved by each chamber before a final version may be sent to the President to be signed into law.
However, the proposal has not been without its critics. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) vehemently criticized the new proposal, stating, You can go straight to hell. Over my dead body. [House GOP] In a subsequent post, Rep. Roy declared, This is for my daughter. Non-negotiable. And if Republicans want to engage in this screw them too. Rep. Mike Davis (R-UT) also expressed his opposition, saying, We will not draft women. I stand with [Chip Roy] this will happen over my dead body.
As the bill moves forward, it remains to be seen how these differing viewpoints will be reconciled and what the final version of the NDAA will look like. The debate over mandatory draft registration for women is likely to continue, reflecting broader discussions about the role of women in the military and society at large.
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