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American Daughters Will Not Face Draft After Provision Dropped From Final Defense Bill

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Dec 7, 2021 DailyWire.com

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American Daughters Will Not Face Draft After Provision Dropped From Final Defense Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 10: U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) speaks at a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing on June 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. The committee is examining the implementation of the CARES Act, which has handed out billions of dollars of government-backed forgivable loans to small-business owners that keep employees on their payroll. (Photo by Al-Drago-Pool/Getty Images)

After opposition led by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have dropped a provision from the final version of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act that would have required American women over the age of 18 to register for the military draft.

Politico first reported the story based on “two people with knowledge of the negotiations.” The D.C.-based media outlet categorizes the decision as a win for conservatives and a loss for progressives:

The move is a victory for conservatives who fought to strip the provision. 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.

As recently as 6:02 pm ET Monday evening, Hawley expressed his opposition to any defense bill that would include both sexes registering for the selective service.

The populist Republican tweeted, “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.”

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

While the initial provision had support from both parties in Congress, conservative activists strongly opposed the idea since its inception.

The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles tweeted, “A nation that drafts its women to die in combat deserves defeat.”

A nation that drafts its women to die in combat deserves defeat.
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) November 29, 2021

Politico added that other Republicans who also opposed the equal opportunity draft celebrated the proposal being dropped from the defense spending bill:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), a social conservative who opposes requiring women to register, celebrated its removal from the bill. She criticized the move as “imposing a woke ideology on our troops rather than meeting the current needs of our military.”
“Women are not chess pieces in a political game. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers and already valuable members of our all-volunteer force,” Hartzler said. “I applaud the removal of this unnecessary provision and am grateful to see reasonable minds come together to join me in resisting this effort.”

The final version of the 2022 NDAA is expected to be voted on sometime this week.

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