JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If H.R. 8070 passes and becomes law, men and women will have to register for selective service in case the military ever executes the draft.
Since the end of the Vietnam War, the draft has been deactivated. However, when men turn 18 years old, they are required to register.
News4JAX asked women what they thought about the possibility of signing up or even the idea of the draft returning.
“I don’t think I should automatically have to sign up, the whole thing about public service is it’s you putting yourself forward, it’s not like you’re getting compensation, it’s not like you’re being forced, it’s just out of the good that people can do and also with the different ages, voting, drinking, all this stuff,” Devon said.
She said she’s still figuring out life.
“I’m 19, I couldn’t imagine if I were forced to go into the service right now,” Devon said.
H.R. 8070 - Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 has passed the House, but it still needs to pass the Senate and be signed off by the president before it can become law.
Congressman John Rutherford gave his thoughts about women and the draft.
“I don’t see us reinstituting the draft anytime soon especially reinstituting the draft with women, mandatorily drafted like I would be opposed to that idea. I would see that as a harm to our families,” Rutherford said.
He said he supports women who want to serve in the military, but starting a family is just as important. He also believes that the draft talk comes up often.
“It comes up just about every year this discussion about drafting women, I think with some of the discussion now about potential war with China because of Taiwan, it comes up,” Rutherford said.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) says, “There is broad consensus among Congress, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. interagency about the threats to America’s national security.”
It mentions The People’s Republic of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as countries of possible threats or conflict.
To deter and overcome these threats, the U.S. military and America’s men and women in uniform must have the resources they need to keep the nation safe.
If H.R. 8070 passes, women will become part of the selective service process, but the draft will remain inactive.
Click here to learn more about selective service.
Click here to read H.R. 8070.