Congressional leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees left a measure out of the National Defense Authorization Act on Monday that would force women to be drafted into the military alongside men after facing pressure from multiple Republican legislators who opposed the provision.
“Majority of @HouseGOP & @SenateGOP to vote to pass #NDAA that a) drafts daughters, b) gives more $ w/o Afghan accountability, c) continues vax mandates & service members facing discharge, d) continues #Woke CRT/Race & Climate training… & more. #FixNDAA #DontDraftOurDaughters,” Rep. Chip Roy of Texas tweeted on Monday.
Majority of @HouseGOP & @SenateGOP to vote to pass #NDAA that a) drafts daughters, b) gives more $ w/o Afghan accountability, c) continues vax mandates & service members facing discharge, d) continues #Woke CRT/Race & Climate training… & more. #FixNDAA #DontDraftOurDaughters
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 6, 2021
“We should not draft women, and I am glad that my efforts with Sen. Hawley have made that clear,” Sen. Mike Lee of Utah wrote on Monday.
We should not draft women, and I am glad that my efforts with Sen. Hawley have made that clear.@SenHawleyPress https://t.co/SY0XN4rzR7
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 7, 2021
Politico reported the change “according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations.”
“The move is a victory for conservatives who fought to strip the provision,” Politico noted. “Earlier attempts to kill the proposal came up short because lawmakers from both parties supported including women in the draft. Expanding Selective Service has gained momentum since all combat roles in the military were opened to women.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, one of the most notable opponents of the provision, celebrated the apparent legislative win on Monday night.
“It appears the NDAA will no longer require women to register for the military draft. I certainly hope that is the case,” the Missouri Republican said in a statement.
Hawley also threatened to “insist on a vote on the Senate floor to strike the provision” if it was not dropped.
“If it is not, then I will keep fighting for a vote on the Senate floor to strip this wrong and misguided provision out of the final bill,” he continued.
If the massive expansion of the draft to include women is not removed, I will continue to insist on a vote on the Senate floor to strike the provision https://t.co/XrWmvF6Ebj
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 6, 2021
An Ipsos poll in August found that public support for drafting women “has decreased significantly since 2016.” While 63 percent of Americans said they supported drafting both men and women into the military in 2016, only 55 percent of men and 36 percent of women supported the measure in 2021.
A vote on the NDAA is expected later this week, but Politico claims some Republicans may still oppose it due to excessive spending.
