Pages

Saturday, August 3, 2024

US Senators introduce bill to end military draft

Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) have introduced legislation to end the U.S. military draft.

Group of senators introduces bill to end military draft | The Hill | Ellen Mitchell:

August 2, 2024 - "A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation to end the military draft, calling it an 'outdated' government program that no longer serves a purpose. The bill, introduced Thursday by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), would repeal the Military Selective Service Act, commonly known as the draft. 

"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 it has not been used since the Vietnam War. 

“'It has been over 50 years since the draft was last used,' Paul said in a statement on the bill. 'I’ve long stated 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 This outdated government program no longer serves a purpose and should be eliminated permanently.'

"The legislation comes as Congress once again debates the expansion of the draft given the Defense Department opened all combat roles to women in 2015. Senate Democrats this year added language to the annual defense authorization bill to require women to register for the draft.... A measure to compel women to register for potential service has continuously been stripped out of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) year after year, most recently in 2021 and 2022.

"What’s more, the annual cost of the program has steadily inched upward, jumping from a $26 million budget in 2021 to a $33.4 million request for 2025. 'The Selective Service is a long-outdated program that eats up millions of taxpayer dollars and gives us nothing in return,' Wyden said in a statement."

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4807876-senators-propose-ending-military-draft/

Rand Paul introduces bipartisan bill to end Selective Service | Eyewitness News WEHT WTVW | August 2, 2024:

No comments:

Post a Comment