Senate votes to require women to register for the draft

The United States Senate voted to pass a defense bill today that would require young women to sign up for a potential military draft for the first time in U.S. history. The vote was 85-13 in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act, a $600 billion defense spending bill that had a host of other controversial provisions in it, including prohibiting the closure of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and denying the Pentagon’s attempt to close military bases.

Republicans were divided about whether the U.S. should require women to register for the draft when they turn 18. Sen. Ted Cruz told Politico it was a “radical change that is attempting to be foisted on the American people,” while Sen. John McCain said “a large bipartisan majority on the Armed Services Committee agreed that there is simply no further justification to limit Selective Service registration to men.”

The Senate and the House will now meet to compare and resolve differences between the two versions of the defense spending bill. The House version does not have the female draft requirement in it.

Source

I love this. I am loving it. It's about time women did their fair share and not heap burdens upon men and men only. Let's send a "atta boy" to Senator John McCain and tell him he's right. The burden should not be upon men and men alone. On the other hand,I am disappointed in Senator Ted Cruz for taking the position he did. Perhaps we should remind him that selective service is a burden that is already heaped upon men whether they like it or not so requiring women to fulfill the same requirements that men are forced to do is not much of a stretch. The country can handle it.