New legislation would require women, like men, to sign up for potential draft

A U.S. Senate committee has approved legislation that would, if enacted, require young women to register for Selective Service alongside men.

Capitol Hill -- A U.S. Senate committee has approved legislation that would, if enacted, require young women to register for Selective Service alongside men, and in the rare event of a war or other national emergency, be drafted for the first time in the nation’s history. During the Vietnam War -- between 1964 and 1973 -- nearly 2 million men were drafted in the U.S., according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Just afterward, in 1973, facing a tide of opposition to the controversial draft, President Richard Nixon officially ended military conscription, and the U.S. established an all-volunteer force. But even though the draft is no more, most young men, including immigrants, are required to register with the Military Selective Service in case conscription becomes necessary once again. Federal law requires registration when a man turns 18 years of age, and immigrants are required to register within 30 days of arriving in the country. The new legislation, authored by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., would remove any reference to "male" in current law, leaving women on an equal playing field.