Do Women Have To Registeer For Selective Service

Capitol Colina -- A U.Due south. Senate committee has approved legislation that would, if enacted, crave young women to register for Selective Service alongside men, and in the rare effect of a war or other national emergency, be drafted for the starting time time in the nation's history.

During the Vietnam War -- between 1964 and 1973 -- nearly ii 1000000 men were drafted in the U.Due south., co-ordinate to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Just afterward, in 1973, facing a tide of opposition to the controversial draft, President Richard Nixon officially ended armed services conscription, and the U.S. established an all-volunteer force.

But even though the draft is no more, most young men, including immigrants, are required to register with the Military Selective Service in instance conscription becomes necessary one time once more. Federal law requires registration when a man turns 18 years of age, and immigrants are required to register within 30 days of arriving in the country.

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

But non everyone is on lath.

Committee member Josh Hawley, R-Mo., announced his opposition to the measure out, tweeting Friday, "American women have heroically served in and aslope our fighting forces since our nation'southward founding - It's one thing to allow American women to cull this service, just it's quite another to force it upon our daughters, sisters, and wives. Missourians experience strongly that compelling women to fight our wars is wrong and and so do I."

Women take 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's high fourth dimension that women sign upwards, 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 grandfather'southward military machine," a Senate aide close to the matter told ABC News in an interview, noting that should a draft be instituted, the greater need nowadays would be for more educated conscripts in the specialty branches, similar those with an expertise in cyber, engineering and Stalk, as well as doctors and lawyers.

"And then, while a draft is highly unlikely in many of our lifetimes, none of that raises the same arguments well-nigh physicality -- all of the things that were used to fence for a male-simply draft," the aide said. "It's a dissimilar world."

When asked if President Joe Biden supports the change, a White House aide pointed to a September 2020 Military Officers Association of America candidate forum in which then-candidate Biden said, "The United States does not need a larger armed forces, and nosotros don't need a draft at this fourth dimension...I would, even so, ensure that women are also eligible to annals for the Selective Service Organization and then that men and women are treated equally in the result of futurity conflicts."

In a Supreme Court example earlier this year, the ACLU challenged the constitutionality of an all-male person draft legislation, but the interim solicitor general pointed to likely action from Congress in arguing that the loftier court concur off making a judgement, which information technology eventually 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. — United States Marine Corps (USMC) recruits from Lima Company, the offset gender integrated training grade in San Diego, march while covered in mud following an obstacle course during The Crucible, the final part of phase three of recruit grooming earlier officially condign United states Marines, April 21, 2021, at Campsite Pendleton.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The Reed legislation is part of a massive defence force policy measure known as the National Defense Authorization Act, a highly popular slice of legislation giving raises to U.S. troops, funding many new war machine systems, weapons upgrades and more. It is considered must-pass legislation, and it is expected that the new selective service requirement for women will remain in identify, according to the aide.

The Senate nearly passed the legislation dorsum in 2017, simply instead a national committee was created to study the upshot, along with a wider mandate to look at national public service in full general.

That National Commission on Armed services, 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 Committee seriously considered a wide range of deeply felt moral, legal, and practical arguments and explored the available empirical prove," the console's report read.

"The Committee 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 stride, making it possible to draw on the talent of a unified Nation in a time of national emergency," the report concluded.

Taken together, the Senate adjutant said, the sentiment was, "If we're going to have a draft - a selective service arrangement - then women have to be involved."

"The recognition is that we're probably non going to accept a military machine draft, but if nosotros do, then we recognize that you lot can't fight with i hand tied behind your back," the aide added.

Plus, the aide noted, back in 2016 when the initial idea was being seriously considered, all four service chiefs testified in favor of adding women.

Congress for years has shot down the idea of mandatory registration for women, but times are changing. The NDAA -- with the requirement in it -- passed the Senate War machine Committee 23-2 this calendar week.

If the legislation survives, the measure would go into effect 1 yr afterwards enactment of the new law.

ABC New' Justin Gomez contributed to this report.