Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) blasted the idea of requiring women to register for the selective service as part of an annual defense bill, saying lawmakers jump “blindly into culture war fights.”
“This fight — about women in the draft — is entirely unnecessary. And wisdom should be nudging us to avoid unnecessary fighting. We have enough real and needed fighting,” Sasse said.
{mosads}The Senate’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), currently being debated by lawmakers, would require women to register for the selective service. The move would pave the way for them to be included in a draft, if the United States returns to one.
The draft ended in 1973. Sasse argued it’s unlikely the country would return to one, noting the military “is all-volunteer, and no one is recommending that we change that.”
Conservative senators pledged to put up a fight over the provision, which they want removed from the bill.
Sasse filed an amendment to the legislation Thursday that would strike the requirement that women register and sunset the selective service in three years unless Congress passes legislation saying it’s still needed.
It would also throw Senate support behind evaluating the selective service and require the secretary of Defense to hand over a report to Congress within six months on the selective service system.
“It doesn’t force the unelected Secretary of Defense to wade into culture wars or social engineering,” he added.
Supporters of removing the provision face an uphill fight and a limited amount of time. Senators are expected to take a vote on ending debate over the NDAA Friday.