Group of senators presents bill to end military conscription

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation to end military conscription, calling it an “outdated” government program that no longer serves a purpose.

The bill, introduced Thursday by Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), would repeal the Military Selective Service Act, commonly known as the bill. First passed in 1917 to fill the ranks during World War I, the law requires all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45 to register for possible military service, but has not been used since the Vietnam War. .

“It has been more than 50 years since the project was last used,” Paul said in a statement about the project. “I have long said that if a war is worth fighting, Congress will vote to declare it and people will volunteer. This outdated government program no longer serves a purpose and must be permanently eliminated.”

The legislation comes as Congress once again debates expanding the bill, as the Defense Department opened all combat roles to women in 2015. Senate Democrats this year added language to the annual defense bill. defense authorization to require women to register with the project, provoking a negative reaction. of Republicans and social conservatives.

A measure to require women to register for potential service has continually been removed from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) year after year, most recently in 2021 and 2022.

Additionally, the program’s annual cost has steadily increased, jumping from a budget of $26 million in 2021 to a request of $33.4 million for 2025.

“Selective Service is a long-outdated program that consumes millions of taxpayer dollars and gives us nothing in return,” Wyden said in a statement. “This is a common-sense bill that brings our military into the 20th century and keeps money in American wallets.”

Meanwhile, advocates for the women included in the project argue that the expansion makes it possible to draw on a wider range of talent should the worst happen.

A commission created by the NDAA 2017 to study the issue recommended this, releasing a report in 2020 that called the measure “a necessary and fair step, which allows us to harness the talent of a unified Nation in a time of emergency.”

“Women are doing remarkable work in our forces today, and if we were in a situation that required a draft, I think we would need every able-bodied citizen age 18 and over,” said the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee , Jack Reed (DR.I.) said in June. “If we go to a draft, that means we are in a very, very serious situation.”

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story