Are Women Required To Register For Draft

Capitol Hill -- A U.S. Senate committee has approved legislation that would, if enacted, crave immature women to register for Selective Service alongside men, and in the rare consequence of a war or other national emergency, exist drafted for the beginning time in the nation'due south history.

During the Vietnam War -- between 1964 and 1973 -- near ii meg men were drafted in the U.S., according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Just after, in 1973, facing a tide of opposition to the controversial typhoon, President Richard Nixon officially ended military conscription, and the U.South. established an all-volunteer forcefulness.

But even though the typhoon is no more than, virtually young men, including immigrants, are required to register with the Military Selective Service in example conscription becomes necessary in one case once more. Federal law requires registration when a man turns eighteen years of age, and immigrants are required to register within thirty days of arriving in the land.

The new legislation, authored past Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., would remove any reference to "male" in current law, leaving women on an equal playing field.

But not anybody is on lath.

Committee member Josh Hawley, R-Mo., announced his opposition to the measure, tweeting Friday, "American women have heroically served in and alongside our fighting forces since our nation's founding - It's one thing to let American women to choose this service, but it's quite another to force it upon our daughters, sisters, and wives. Missourians feel strongly that compelling women to fight our wars is incorrect and so practice I."

Women have been serving at all levels of the military since 2013 when the Pentagon opened up front-line, ground combat positions to them, and supporters of the Reed legislation say it'south high fourth dimension that women sign up, especially since the service has changed dramatically since the Vietnam era.

PHOTO: Sen. Jack Reed speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., June 24, 2021. — Sen. Jack Reed speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., June 24, 2021.

Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

"This isn't our grandpa's military," a Senate aide close to the matter told ABC News in an interview, noting that should a typhoon be instituted, the greater need nowadays would be for more than educated conscripts in the specialty branches, like those with an expertise in cyber, engineering science and STEM, too every bit doctors and lawyers.

"And then, while a draft is highly unlikely in many of our lifetimes, none of that raises the same arguments about physicality -- all of the things that were used to contend for a male person-only draft," the aide said. "It's a different world."

When asked if President Joe Biden supports the change, a White Firm adjutant pointed to a September 2020 Military Officers Association of America candidate forum in which then-candidate Biden said, "The U.s. does not demand a larger military, and we don't need a draft at this time...I would, withal, ensure that women are likewise eligible to register for the Selective Service Organization then that men and women are treated every bit in the issue of hereafter conflicts."

In a Supreme Court case earlier this year, the ACLU challenged the constitutionality of an all-male person draft legislation, simply the acting solicitor full general pointed to probable activity from Congress in arguing that the loftier courtroom concord off making a judgement, which information technology somewhen acceded to.

PHOTO: United States Marine Corps (USMC) recruits from Lima Company, the first gender integrated training class in San Diego, march, April 21, 2021, at Camp Pendleton. — Us Marine Corps (USMC) recruits from Lima Company, the first gender integrated training course in San Diego, march while covered in mud following an obstacle course during The Crucible, the final function of stage iii of recruit preparation before officially becoming US Marines, April 21, 2021, at Army camp Pendleton.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The Reed legislation is part of a massive defense policy measure known as the National Defense Potency Human activity, a highly pop piece of legislation giving raises to U.S. troops, funding many new military machine systems, weapons upgrades and more than. Information technology is considered must-laissez passer legislation, and it is expected that the new selective service requirement for women will remain in place, co-ordinate to the aide.

The Senate near passed the legislation back in 2017, but instead a national commission was created to study the issue, along with a wider mandate to look at national public service in general.

That National Commission on Military, National, & Public Service terminal year came out in favor of the Reed position, and the senator took his current legislation directly from the commission findings.

"In reviewing the question of whether Selective Service registration should include women, the Commission seriously considered a wide range of deeply felt moral, legal, and practical arguments and explored the available empirical prove," the panel'due south report read.

"The Commission concluded that the time is right to extend Selective Service System registration to include men and women, between the ages of 18 and 26. This is a necessary and fair footstep, making it possible to describe on the talent of a unified Nation in a time of national emergency," the written report concluded.

Taken together, the Senate aide said, the sentiment was, "If we're going to take a draft - a selective service system - and so women have to be involved."

"The recognition is that nosotros're probably non going to accept a military draft, just if we practise, then we recognize that you can't fight with 1 hand tied backside your back," the aide added.

Plus, the adjutant noted, dorsum in 2016 when the initial idea was existence seriously considered, all 4 service chiefs testified in favor of adding women.

Congress for years has shot down the idea of mandatory registration for women, simply times are changing. The NDAA -- with the requirement in it -- passed the Senate Armed Services Commission 23-two this calendar week.

If the legislation survives, the measure would go into effect ane yr afterward enactment of the new law.

ABC New' Justin Gomez contributed to this study.