Lawmakers seek to end military draft registration

U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) joined U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY) in urging the rejection of efforts to expand military draft registrations.

“Our professional, all-volunteer military is the finest fighting force in the world,” the legislators wrote. “Recruits must compete under exacting standards in order to enlist, which is why U.S. military leaders have said time and time again they believe in and prefer an all-volunteer military. Even so, the government continues to require men between the ages of 18 and 25 to register with the Selective Service System (SSS).”

The legislators forwarded correspondence to the House Armed Services Committee regarding the matter in the wake of the Senate Armed Services Committee, including language to expand military draft registration to women in the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“The four of us recently introduced the Selective Service Repeal Act, a bill to finally put an end to the expensive, wasteful, outdated, punitive, and unnecessary military draft registration system,” the legislators concluded. “We urge you to include our bill, or similar provisions, in the FY 2022 NDAA and to oppose any efforts to expand military draft registration or the costly and obsolete SSS.”