(NewsNation) — Women are not currently required to sign up for the draft — despite what you might see online.
Currently, the law states that “male persons” aged 18-25 have to register with Selective Service.
However, confusion erupted online after a Senate Committee approved adding language to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2025 that would require women to do the same.
Several social media posts found by USA Today, some of which have since been deleted, perpetuated rumors about women having to sign up for a potential draft.
As the Senate Committee on Armed Services noted in a press release, the bill including that provision still needs approval from the full Senate. Then, the House of Representatives would take up a separate measure.
After the Senate and House pass their versions of the bill, they have to be reconciled in a bicameral conference committee, the press release said. Both chambers would then approve a final version before sending it to President Joe Biden.
The Selective Service System writes that excluding women from registering has been tested in the courts before. In a 1981 case, Rostker v. Goldberg, the Supreme Court ruled that only registering men was not a violation of the Constitution’s due process clause.
On Dec. 3, 2015, then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that all gender-based restrictions on military service would be lifted in January. While two lawmakers issued a statement saying Congress would have 30 days to review whether this meant any changes to the Selective Service Act, ultimately, the decision to only register men remained in place.
Legislation to Draft Women Gets Pushback
In addition to the lengthy process the legislation has to go through, the idea of requiring women to sign up for Selective Service was heavily criticized by Republicans.
NewsNation partner The Hill reports that conservatives led by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., are likely going to try to remove the provision from the NDAA.
A Republican candidate for Nevada Senate, Sam Brown, made his opposition to it known on the social media site X. Brown, according to the Hill, is an Army combat veteran who was severely burned by an improvised explosive device, leading to scarring on his face.
“Look at my face. This is the high cost of war,” he said on X. “…Forcing America’s daughters to register for the draft is UNACCEPTABLE.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed, D-R.I, according to The Hill, defended the policy change.
“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,” Reed said, adding: “If we go to a draft, that means we’re in a serious, serious situation.”
