Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) warned Tuesday that he will vote against a bipartisan defense policy bill because of a provision that would require women to register for the selective service.
“I can tell you right now if this bill continues to extend the draft to women, a radical change, much to the astonishment of the voters being foisted on the American people … I will have no choice but vote no again this year,” the Texas Republican said from the floor.
{mosads}Cruz, who ended his presidential bid last month, was one of three senators to vote against the Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in committee, in part because of the requirement that women register.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has spearheaded the bill and supports the change, said that Cruz “has the unique capability of finding a provision in a bill that thick to base his opposition with a strong moral stand.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has offered an amendment — supported by Cruz — to remove the provision from the defense policy bill. Conservative senators likely face an uphill battle, with the policy battle dividing Republicans and a similar effort failing in the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The House’s version of the defense policy bill does not include the requirement that women register, setting up a potential fight in a House-Senate conference committee.
Cruz has voted against every NDAA since he joined the Senate because of concerns about the unlimited detention of American citizens on U.S. soil.
The back-and-forth on the Senate floor comes as GOP leadership has said they want to finish the defense bill this week, even if it requires a rare Friday session.
The Senate voted on two additional amendments Tuesday, including an amendment from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to bolster medical research within the Defense Department.
Durbin argued that a provision in the legislation to cut back on the Pentagon’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program would have amounted to a “battle against medical research.”
The Senate approved Durbin’s amendment by a 66-32 vote.