Defense bill would require women to register for draft

[Suzanimal]

Women would have to register for the draft under an amendment added to an annual defense bill Wednesday.

“If we want equality in this country, if we want women to be treated precisely like men are treated and that they should not be discriminated against, then we should support a universal conscription,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said.

The House Armed Services Committee voted 32-30 to include the amendment in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Congress has been debating what to do about the draft since Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened up all combat jobs to women late last year.
In 1981, the Supreme Court ruled that women did not have to register for the draft because combat jobs were closed to them.

With that reason now moot, some lawmakers have argued women should now register. Others want women to remain exempt, while still others say this is the opportune time to abolish the draft altogether.

As originally drafted, the NDAA would have asked the Pentagon to conduct a study on the matter and would not have taken a position.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the committee, said he believes Congress needs answers on the benefits of and alternatives to the current draft system before making a decision.

But Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), who is opposed to women in combat and in the draft, offered the amendment to force discussion on the issue. He introduced a standalone bill earlier this year for the same reason.

“The draft is there to get more people to rip the enemy’s throats out,” said Hunter, who voted against his own amendment. “I don’t want to see my daughters put in a place where they have to get drafted.”

Both “coffeehouse liberals in San Francisco” and “conservative families who pray three times a day” oppose including women in the draft, he added.

Speier took issue with the idea that liberals don’t support women registering for the draft.

“While you could be offering this as a gotcha amendment, I would suggest that there’s great merit in recognizing that each of us have an obligation to be willing to serve our country in time of war,” she said.

Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) added that if women were drafted, they wouldn’t be forced into jobs that they aren’t equipped to do.

“What we have right now is standards-based,” he said. “The fact of the matter is, if we need hundreds of thousands of folks to serve, that hasn’t changed any reality of if it’s going to be standards-based of who’s going to be in the infantry and who might be supporting.”

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), who introduced a bill in the House to abolish the draft, continued to support that position, saying many Americans of draft age are ineligible for service and that families of influence tend to be able to avoid the draft in wartime.

“If we look at Iraq and Afghanistan, in the height of the conflicts, there was never a discussion in the Department of Defense to resort to conscription,” he said. “I think the selective service is unnecessary.”

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/277962-defense-bill-would-require-women-to-register-for-draft

[Zippyjuan]

Duncan Hunter- who wrote the bill- says he does not want it to pass but intended it to stir discussion about women in the military (ex-marine who served in Iraq in 2003 and 2004).

[oyarde]

Doubtful any good comes of anything , but I guess one could hope the draft would be done away with all together.

[RJB]

There shouldn't be one woman anywhere near a combat zone as long as we have plenty of able body neocon "men" screaming for war on the home front.

If I were 90 years old and in a wheel chair, I would rather go to the front lines than send any woman in my family. A country that values it's women so little that they send them off to fight wars for the elite, won't stand for long.

And just to add, I don't think any boys should die in any of these recent wars either.

[Suzanimal]

House Speaker Paul Ryan Thursday called for a congressional re-examination of the draft, following a committee vote to advance a measure that would require women to register for the Selective Service.

"We need to take a comprehensive look at the entire Selective Service process," Ryan, R-Wis., said when asked about the provision to draft women into the military. "And we shouldn't just deal with one issue at a time."

Late Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee voted 32-30 to amend the National Defense Authorization Act with language requiring women to register for the Selective Service.

The proposal was introduced by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a former Marine who said he pitched the amendment to force Congress to discuss the whether women should serve on the front lines in the military.

Hunter, who does not believe women should register for the draft, voted against the amendment.

Under current law, "almost all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service." The last draft, however, occurred more than 40 years ago during the Vietnam War.

The entire NDAA measure passed by a vote of 60-2 early Thursday morning.

Ryan announced Thursday he'll move the legislation to the floor for a vote, which means it is likely to pass the House with the Hunter amendment included.

"We have to bring NDAA to the floor," Ryan said. "Not doing NDAA is not an option."



http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ryan-calls-for-review-of-the-selective-service-system/article/2589830

[specsaregood]

//

[donnay]

No civilized society puts women in combat.

[Anti Federalist]

This, exactly.


There shouldn't be one woman anywhere near a combat zone as long as we have plenty of able body neocon "men" screaming for war on the home front.

If I were 90 years old and in a wheel chair, I would rather go to the front lines than send any woman in my family. A country that values it's women so little that they send them off to fight wars for the elite, won't stand for long.

And just to add, I don't think any boys should die in any of these recent wars either.

[tod evans]

People should not be drafted, sex be damned.

If by chance there was ever a just war I like to think families would decide amongst themselves who would fight on their behalf.

The idea that a bunch of stuffed shirts can conscribe your child to die on their behalf doesn't float.

[Zippyjuan]

Last draft in this country was in 1972.

[tsai3904]

There was a bill introduced earlier this year that would abolish the Selective Service System
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?490120-Bill-introduced-to-abolish-the-Selective-Service-System

H.R. 4523 cosponsors:


Rep Chaffetz, Jason [UT-3] - 2/24/2016
Rep Coffman, Mike [CO-6] (introduced 2/10/2016)
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 2/10/2016
Rep DeSaulnier, Mark [CA-11] - 4/14/2016
Rep Polis, Jared [CO-2] - 2/10/2016
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-48] - 2/10/2016
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 4/15/2016

[DamianTV]

Citizens are a disposable resource to the status quo when their power is threatened by those citizens.

[FindLiberty]

... wrote the bill- says he does not want it to pass but intended it to ...

What a mess - putting something in that can't be fixed now? I call it political BS.

Reminds me of Ron Paul putting in pork for his constituency and then voting
against it knowing it would pass anyhow. The ONE thing Dr. No would do that
really disappointed me. (Ron Paul still earns a 99% perfect record in my book.)

[pcosmar]

Duncan Hunter- who wrote the bill- says he does not want it to pass but,,,,,

Then he should not have proposed it. Period.

[pcosmar]

Last draft in this country was in 1972.

I remember.
I was early Volunteer Army. Enlisted in 74. started active early 75. was at Ft Polk when we left Nam.

I remember that many have wished to reinstate the draft over the years since.

[William Tell]

We all need to contact our Congressmen and Senators, and tell those pieces of SHIT to leave the girls alone. This is sick. Plus rep for the names of those who voted for this damnable amendment.

[tsai3904]

We all need to contact our Congressmen and Senators, and tell those pieces of $#@! to leave the girls alone. This is sick. Plus rep for the names of those who voted for this damnable amendment.

Text of amendment:
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS00/20160427/104832/BILLS-114-HR4909-H001048-Amdt-224.pdf

Roll call vote:
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS00/20160427/104832/CRPT-114-AS00-Vote010-20160427.pdf

Unfortunately, Walter Jones voted for it.

[Cissy]

Well $#@!, I don't want my son forced into a position where he has to rip out throats or have his ripped out either. So GFY.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to specsaregood again.

[Cissy]

Then he should not have proposed it. Period.

Classic backpedaling. "Oh I really didn't want it to pass, but if it had...."

[TheCount]

Any change that makes it less likely that the draft will be used is a positive change.

[Zippyjuan]

Any change that makes it less likely that the draft will be used is a positive change.

The strongest opposition to wars came when there was a draft and people's sons and daughters may be sent off to fight. With a volunteer army, people don't care as much. Not having a draft makes wars easier.

[Danke]

The strongest opposition to wars came when there was a draft and people's sons and daughters may be sent off to fight. With a volunteer army, people don't care as much. Not having a draft makes wars easier.

So are you supportive of a draft?

[Zippyjuan]

Wars? No, unless in self defense. Draft? If it makes war less likely, yes. But again, we have not had one since 1972 so it is unlikely we will return to one anytime soon. I had to register. People don't care if they don't have skin in the game.

[MelissaWV]

Last draft in this country was in 1972.

Which is really not that long ago. The veterans that haven't died or gone crazy are plentiful, as are those who bought their way out of the line. There were many more who weren't drafted, but joined because of the threat hanging over their heads. Join early and you might get in good enough with the military not to be sent to the worst spots. It shows a naive faith in humanity in hindsight, but it also made the draft look smaller.

Likewise, there's no draft now, but there was the scholarship scam. People I went to school with were quick to point out we "haven't had a big war in a long time" and took the scholarship money to get a cheap/free education that looked great on a resume. Their timing was largely decent, since most of them would have been close to finishing by the time 2001 rolled around, but those just a year or two behind would also find that education came with a really high cost.

[Danke]

Wars? No, unless in self defense. Draft? If it makes war less likely, yes. But again, we have not had one since 1972 so it is unlikely we will return to one anytime soon. I had to register. People don't care if they don't have skin in the game.

So you are supportive of a draft, I see.

[Zippyjuan]

Wars? No, unless in self defense. Draft? If it makes war less likely, yes. But again, we have not had one since 1972 so it is unlikely we will return to one anytime soon. I had to register. People don't care if they don't have skin in the game.

[presence]

Draft is by definition war. You are forcing people to do something against their will otherwise. That is war.

[pcosmar]

People don't care if they don't have skin in the game.

What game?

[Zippyjuan]

What game?

Figure of speech of course. If people share the costs of something, they tend to demand (or tolerate) less of it than if it costs them nothing.

True of most things. Take healthcare for example. If you have insurance, you may pay little to no money out of pocket to go see the doctor. That can lead you to going to the doctor even when you did not need to. You get an expensive prescription medicine when a cheap over the counter remedy might have worked just fine. Why not? It didn't cost you anything (at least not directly- people don't connect that to the insurance premiums they or their employer pay for them). That means higher demand for medical services which leads to higher costs paid for healthcare due to the over- use.

If there is a draft and people don't want their sons or daughters to go to war, they will be more opposed to starting a war in the first place and want to end it sooner. If the army is volunteer- who cares if we go to war? Those people wanted to join up.

[pcosmar]

If there is a draft and people don't want their sons or daughters to go to war, they will be more opposed to starting a war in the first place and want to end it sooner.
Wrong..

There was a draft because no one was volunteering..

People of the North opposed Lincolns war on the South.. So they were drafted..

People opposed US involvement in the First World War.. Wilson Drafted them,,, and violently opposed anti-war protests. And that after being elected to keep us out of Europe's war.

Keep it up Zippy.