“Senate Democrats have added language to the annual defense authorization bill to require women to register for the draft, prompting a backlash from Republicans and social conservatives and complicating the chances of moving the bill on the Senate floor before Election Day.”
What now?: Republicans are trying to remove this language from the bill.
An argument from Democrats: Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) argues that women can hold military positions that don’t involve fighting on the front lines.
Reed on the situation where we’d need a draft: “Women are doing a remarkable job in our forces today, and if we were in a situation requiring a draft, I think we would need all able-bodied citizens 18 and above. … If we go to a draft, that means we’re in a serious, serious situation.”
Reed on what a draft would mean: “It’s not like World War II where we need a lot of infantry. We need cyber experts, we need intelligence analysts, linguists, etc. Wait a second, there are a lot of women out there that can do this better than men.”
Some arguments from Republicans: Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called the provision “insane.” Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called it a “distraction.”
Hawley told Fox News: “There shouldn’t be women in the draft. They shouldn’t be forced to serve if they don’t want to,” adding that “normal people are like, ‘Leave our daughters alone.’”
From Wicker: “I’m opposed to that. I don’t think this is the time to get into a debate on the floor of either house about that. We’re not anywhere near implementing a draft, and to me it’s a distraction when we need to be talking about real issues that are immediate.”
Keep in mind: This will put Democrats who are in tight reelection races in a tough spot.
Read more from The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: ‘Firestorm erupts over requiring women to sign up for military draft’
