Senate Democrats propose requiring women to register for military draft

[TheProle]

Source: Politico

Senate Democrats are proposing a sweeping rewrite of the military draft laws aimed at requiring women to register for the Selective Service System, according to a draft authored by Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed and obtained by POLITICO.

The changes to Selective Service could be attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, a defense policy bill that’s one of the few pieces of legislation considered a “must-pass” by Congress. The move would reignite a contentious debate over whether women should be required to register for the draft, a move the House and Senate have each considered in recent years, though the change has never become law.

The language proposed by Reed (D-R.I.) would expand registration for the service to “All Americans,” striking explicit references to males. It’s expected to be considered during committee markup this week; floor action on the bill would wait until later this year. A spokesperson for Reed declined to comment.

Currently, law states that U.S. men must register for the service when they turn 18 for potential military conscription, though no one has been drafted into the military in more than four decades. Men who fail to register for the draft can be fined, imprisoned or denied federal jobs.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/19/senate-democrats-propose-women-military-drafts-500153

[JohnSJ]

1. and how will this help in the 2022 midterms?

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Yes I'm not understanding how this is a plus for Democrats

especially at this time. They could argue National Service in all those capacities, but this one is controversial.

[JohnSJ]

5. Exactly

[TheProle]

6. Specifics

on how it introduces additional risk into the mid-terms?

[JohnSJ]

9. It is a wild card, and we don't need wild cards.

https://www.rollcall.com/2016/06/28/women-and-the-draft-theyre-divided-over-registration/

[FBaggins]

52. There are very few people who are upset that women don't have to register for the draft

And they are almost universally blue voters already.

But there are quite a few people who might oppose it who would otherwise be reachable voters.

Now... the right thing to do is the right thing to do. Certainly. But since none of us expect to actually have a draft any time soon... there's no real impact of the policy.

[DemocraticPatriot]

79. It will transform the Democrats into the "pro-draft party".

That will certainly not help with our base, in my humble opinion. Republicans will oppose it, certainly, but only because they presume women are unfit for military service-- but I think they would reap the benefits of being opposed to expanding a potential military draft, in spite of their reasons.

We have fought several wars with our all-volunteer army. I think it is time to abolish the Selective Service. I was vehemently opposed to President Carter re-instating it at the time. It is a little too close to "involuntary servitude", isn't it?

(Of course, Ronald Reagan campaigned against it in 1980-- then when he was in office, forgot his promise and actually prosecuted registration resisters, instead... the lying dog).

In any real crisis, there will be plenty of citizens willing to volunteer to defend this country, just as there were after 9-11, without drafting citizens against their will...

It is the wrong course to make a bad law 'politically correct' or ' non-discriminatory based on sex',
which ought to be ABOLISHED in the first place.

Pursuing this will hand the GOP a REAL issue, which they have been hard-pressed to come up with, against our party in the mid-terms. We don't need it. It is way down the list of priorities-- and I oppose it myself, on the principle that we should be abolishing the set-up for a military draft, not expanding it.

[yardwork]

77. I think a lot of folks will agree with this.

[Escurumbele]

11. Agree...its nuts!!!

I don't get it...

[TrollBuster9090]

16. It will help Republicans A LOT.

If that's what you were asking.

[Cinnamonspice]

54. It won't help during midterms.

I understand the concept. Treat women equally, but it's going to cause problems.

[DemocraticPatriot]

70. It won't. I say abolish the Selective Service, instead.

[Skittles]

2. it would not have bothered me

but then, I actually did serve

[trof]

27. +1000

[Skittles]

29. hey! I thought of you today

watching this (needs sound).....a......harrowing music video

[BigmanPigman]

55. Chambers Brothers. "Time"

I always play the long version on New Years.

[trof]

75. Me?

My military service was spent keeping the state of Alabama safe from Cuban incursion.
Recce pilot.
"Alone, unarmed, and unafraid"
Also: We killum with Fillum.

[DURHAM D]

3. No. No. No.

Pass the Equal Rights Amendment and then get back with me.

[Rebl2]

7. I'm

with you.

[CrispyQ]

8. +1

This is what they're spending time on?

[TheProle]

10. From last month (bolding mine)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether it’s sex discrimination for the government to require only men to register for the draft when they turn 18.

The question of whether it’s unconstitutional to require men but not women to register could be viewed as one with little practical impact. The last time there was a draft was during the Vietnam War, and the military has been all-volunteer since. But the registration requirement is one of the few remaining places where federal law treats men and women differently, and women’s groups are among those arguing that allowing it to stand is harmful.



Just last year, a congressional commission concluded that the “time is right” to extend the obligation to register to women. “The current disparate treatment of women unacceptably excludes women from a fundamental civic obligation and reinforces gender stereotypes about the role of women, undermining national security,” the commission said in a report.

The Biden administration is urging the justices not to take the case and to let Congress instead tackle the issue. Administration lawyers wrote in a brief that any “reconsideration of the constitutionality of the male-only registration requirement ... would be premature at this time” because Congress is “actively considering” the issue.

https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-courts-government-and-politics-847452b349a4a00c6a6ff67d5c58f3c2?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

[TrollBuster9090]

17. That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. In fact, I agree with a lottery draft...

...under certain circumstances. If we had a lottery draft that would kick in AUTOMATICALLY for any armed conflict that lasted longer than four months, and required more than 20,000 troops, the USA would have been involved in a lot fewer wars. Congress wouldn't be so quick to throw troops into combat every other week if they knew their own precious little brats were in the bingo cage along with everybody else's kids.

Having said that, whichever party introduces legislation on this will lose the youth vote for a century. Can't we at least do some good before committing political suicide?

Letting the Supreme Court do the dirty work is the best thing for it! Kill two birds with one stone. Have the court rule that women should be included in the draft; and then add THAT to the list of reasons the SCOTUS needs to be reformed.

[Rebl2]

34. Exactly 🙄

[Warpy]

18. Same here, if there is no ERA, we're still second class citizens

and they can fuck right off.

[slightlv]

42. We're less than 2nd class citizens

With Texas' law ruling against teaching suffrage and SCOTUS set to rule against Roe v Wade, and all the other issue with bodily autonomy...

I say "NO" to this UNLESS we are granted the ERA and control of our bodies are given back to us, instead of to male politicians who don't know a uterus from a pancreas.

[Jay25]

20. Absolutely! All due diligence should also be aimed at voting rights.

[dflprincess]

36. Exactly! nt

[SharonClark]

45. I could not agree more.

Women being drafted was one of the boogie man threats made by the right against the ERA.

[PatSeg]

53. Yep

What on earth were they thinking?

[happy feet]

74. Agree. Voting Rights too

I wonder who thought this a good idea?

[nitpicker]

12. I'm not sure what use the Selective Service System is anymore

Once upon a time, Kennedy's council on physical fitness ((on which my grandmother's cousin served)) was merely encouraging more physical fitness, even amongst youth.

Fast forward to today. Most males in the sought-for 18-26 year old market are either physically or morally ineligible (unless waived).
And even more so for females ((at least physically)). Navy proudly announced a couple of days ago that ONE female managed to pass the SWCC course after 14 others washed out ((3 still ongoing)).

Unless the goal is to build a home garrison force to support those that can get out on the tip of the spear??

((In WWII, I would have been classified 4F, or maybe fit only to serve at the War Department.))

[nitpicker]

13. And some schools made more ineligible to serve in the modern military

Back in the day, recruiters complained that passing through students meant that "high school graduates" couldn't score high enough ASVAB scores to get accepted into the military.

[nitpicker]

14. I think it would make much more sense to drop the male registration requirement

For the reasons I cited above.

[TrollBuster9090]

15. !!!! DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN !!!! This is HALF of What Cost Jimmy Carter The Election To Reagan.

Jimmy Carter tried to monkey with the draft, to include women, and ended up a one termer. Is this really what we want? Do Democrats really HATE WINNING ELECTIONS THIS MUCH?

Let me state my actual position: I'm in FAVOUR of a LOTTERY DRAFT that includes women, and the draft would kick in AUTOMATICALLY for any armed conflict that took more than 20,000 troops more than three months.

If we had that in place, the United States wouldn't have been in a state of perpetual war for the last 80 years. Not if all the Congressmen and Senators had their precious little brats in the bingo cage.

That's what we need, but whoever actually DOES it will lose the youth vote for a century.

Can't we at least FIX THE MIDDLE CLASS before we commit political suicide???

[SouthBayDem]

56. With the Iran hostage crisis and economic recession in 1980,

Carter was vulnerable even without the "women in the draft" idea.

[C Moon]

64. Yeah, I don't think it's a good idea.

[pnwmom]

19. What a stupid idea. First pass the Equal rights amendment.

Last edited Mon Jul 19, 2021, 10:53 PM - Edit history (1)

THEN include women in the draft.

You want to hand the R's a weapon? Include women in the draft before they are equal citizens.

[pnwmom]

48. Thanks, I'll fix. n/t

[BradAllison]

21. There is no draft

Or so I'm told.

[IronLionZion]

22. If it's good enough for the Israelis, Russians, Kurds, and other women around the world,

[Devil Child]

24. +1 IronLionZion n/t

[LisaL]

26. Russians don't have a draft for women.

NT

[IronLionZion]

35. It was voluntary while they were facing annihilation at the hands of Nazis

Finland is also voluntary.

The mandatory women conscription countries are: Bolivia, Chad, Eritrea, Israel, Mozambique, North Korea, Norway, Sweden.

Others have done it for medical service or farm/factory/transport service during wartime like the Women's Land Army in UK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription#Drafting_of_women

[pnwmom]

32. No. We failed to pass the ERA. And MOST countries' drafts exclude women.

"Fewer than a third of countries currently have a military draft; most exclude women"

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/23/fewer-than-a-third-of-countries-currently-have-a-military-draft-most-exclude-women/

[Devil Child]

23. Good, this is long overdue for a military in the 21st century.

[pnwmom]

31. No, it's premature. First the ERA must be passed, giving women equal rights under the constitution.

With equal rights comes equal responsibilities. Not before.

[Polybius]

58. If the ERA was the law of the land, wouldn't this bill be unnecessary?

Any discrimination based on sex would be illegal.

[pnwmom]

61. Yes. But it's still legal to discriminate on the basis of gender. n/t

[modrepub]

67. Wouldn't It Be Easier To Pass ERA

if women had "skin in the game" for the draft? African Americans served in the Civil War without equal citizenship and a lot longer under segregation. Women volunteered for the relief activities (Red Cross) and dome served in military hospitals before given the right to vote.

Morally, isn't it right to offer your services without expecting to be compensated via ERA?

[pnwmom]

72. Are you kidding? With the current R's? They want to control women's bodies.

An attempt by the D's to draft women would cause a huge backlash. Both independent women and women like me would be furious.

No way am I going to volunteer for a country that denies me and my daughter equal rights and threatens my freedom of choice.

Whereas lf we had an ERA, then the Supreme Court would automatically rule that women are subject to the draft. The R's have already conceded that. Their whole excuse for not approving it before was that it would make us subject.

[marie999]

25. Women should have to register for the draft. I serve May 31, 1963 to May 29, 1967.

I did not serve in Vietnam, but I don't know of any Russian linguists in the Army Security Agency who did. Some members of the Army Security Agency did calling their unit Radio Research and some were killed in action.

[pnwmom]

62. Good for you. But you weren't drafted, and you shouldn't be, as long as you don't have equal rights

under the Constitution.

[trof]

28. It IS fair, but...

It's putting a thumb in the eye of many voters.
I don't think now is the time.
Sorry

[pnwmom]

30. No, it's the opposite of fair. Women were denied equal rights when Congress failed

to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.

[George II]

33. Once again Politico gums up the works with an inaccurate headline. The bill, if passed.....

....would require everyone, women included, to register with the SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM, not the "military draft". There hasn't been a "military draft" since June 30, 1972.

[dflprincess]

37. Better yet

how about they stop requiring males to register?

[Gore1FL]

38. Ending the registration process is probably the most sensible approach. nt

[Ms. Toad]

39. How about we propose eliminating it -

Or, at a very minimum, permit registrants to register as conscientious objectors.

Many Quakers, and other traditional peace churches, view registration for the draft to be participation in war - so males (but not females) whose religious beliefs will not permit them to register face penalties.

[thenelm1]

40. If registering for the draft ever actually comes back, then fine.

In the interim, it just gives another talking point to rail against for the opposition. I swear some of these guys/women have no fore thought as to the perception or ammunition that they give to their opponents...

Meanwhile bills with immediate consequences, like voting rights & infrastructure hang in the balance...

[pnwmom]

49. Not fine. They refused to pass the Equal Rights amendment

and now they're trying to end women's ability to control their own healthcare.

[thenelm1]

76. I'll you give that legitimate point. But seriously, is this even...

a thing anymore?? I registered for the draft in 1973. I may be wrong, but draft registration hasn't been a requirement for a long time. And if it ever comes back as a serious political issue, I'd be in line with you protesting the requirement for women (or males) to have to register for a draft.

What I was getting at is, with all the immediate concerns the Dems need to address, who the heck is digging this up as an issue? At the moment it's completely absurd. And just gives the other guys, who'll bite at any perceived opportunity, another target to attack Dems.

On the other hand, some type of mandatory national service for all at 18 or whatever is a completely different prospect. Without specific details of an actual proposal, not something I want to comment on.

[pnwmom]

78. I don't know why the Democrat who's introduced the bill did it,

but I agree it's a big mistake. We're handing the Rs a weapon to clobber us with.

[Jon King]

41. There should be required military service for everyone....

All US citizens should be require to participate just like in other countries. Then the rich would think twice about crap like the Iraq invasion if their darlings faced risks.

No deferments, everyone can serve some capacity. And all able bodies have equal chance at the front lines.

[pnwmom]

50. No. There should be required equal rights for everyone. And there aren't.

A country that refused to pass the Equal Rights Amendment has no business drafting women.

[Dial H For Hero]

65. The US military has neither the ability nor the desire to absorb millions of conscripts.

It's not as if there are thousands of ships, planes, and tanks going unused due to a lack of crews. Adding millions of young people to the armed forces would result in (at best) having a bunch of underequipped 3rd rate infantry units that we wouldn't have the ability to transport in significant numbers.

Pointless, and that's putting aside the issue of involuntary servitude.

[slightlv]

43. I actually agree

that women should be required to register for Selective Service, but only after the ERA is passed AND our bodily rights (and right to privacy thereof) are enshrined in law.

I say this as a female Vietnam Era veteran.

[Klaralven]

44. Given that future large scale conflicts will be cyber & biological warfare, women have a big role

[Baitball Blogger]

51. Another "Defund the Police" shoot myself in the foot idea.

[SouthBayDem]

57. The Boomer generation cannot leave politics soon enough.

The most visible names in the US government - Biden, Schumer, McConnell, and Pelosi - were all born in the 1940s and 1950s. I (a 90s kid) cannot wait until people of AOC's generation rise to the top.

[Polybius]

59. First give us Gen Xers a chance

We shouldn't be skipped, wait your turn.

[Baitball Blogger]

69. +1

[Baitball Blogger]

68. I had to grow up in the wake of the Boomers and was labeled as such.

I don't, necessarily, disagree with you. But that's some serious naivete to think progressives are going to make immense gains in red counties. The best we'll do is try to replace Democratic strongholds with progressives.

What you do have going for you (us) is that you're willing to call out all the Republicans for their bullshit and dirty playing. And you won't sell-out progressive ideals just to reach out across the aisle, when there's no one willing to even parlay with you.

What young progressives are bad at, is marketing their ideas to a wider audience.

[pnwmom]

63. YES. n/t

[Snackshack]

60. I give up.

On expecting anything out of this administration or congress to do anything that looks like holding anyone of significance from DT or his cabinet accountable. Garland is a huge disappointment, Schumer is a huge disappointment. The mid terms will come and the GOP will take back the majority’s thru their suppression and lack of votings right being passed and the rest of Bidens term will be spent in impeachment and hearings as the GOP has said they would do if back in the majority.

[twodogsbarking]

66. There should be no draft at all

and only half (or less) of the military spending we have now.

[marshall]

71. This is also an LGBTQ+ issue

Currently, the registration requirement for Selective Service is based on gender assigned at birth. This is an outdated concept, and the proposal to include all genders could be driven by the current push to recognize transmen as men.

[manicdem]

73. This is the right thing to do

We should support this, we don't discriminate on rights when it suits us. ERA is better but I don't see an amendment ever getting passed. We have to work our way up one step at a time and this is the first step. I'm not sure if it is, but selected service should be open to any gender.

And I'm against getting rid of SS and the draft. It gives everyone a stake in a war and could prevent getting involved in some. I would change it where there are no exceptions for college attendance or profession. Everyone has a equal chance int he draft..