Rangel Proposes Bills to Reinstate Draft, Require Women to Sign Up

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) wants to bring back the military draft and require women to register for the Selective Service.

On Friday, Rangel reintroduced the so-called “draft bill,” known officially as “The National Universal Service Act” (H.R. 747), and “The All American Selective Service Act” (H.R. 748), which would require all women between 18 and 25 to register.

“Now that women can serve in combat they should register for the Selective Service alongside their male counterparts,” Rangel said in a statement. “Reinstating the draft and requiring women to register for the Selective Service would compel the American public to have a stake in the wars we fight as a nation. We must question why and how we go to war, and who decides to send our men and women into harm’s way.”

Rangel said if America’s young women were forced to fight, citizens would be more reticent to go to war.

“I served in Korea, and understand that sometimes war is inevitable,” said Rangel. “However military engagement should be our last resort. If we must go to war, every American should be compelled to stop and think twice about whether it is worth sending our brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters to fight.”

Rangel has been a longstanding proponent of bring back the draft. “Currently less than one percent of America’s population is unfairly shouldering the burden of war,” he explained.

“If this country has its security threatened, I would like to believe that all of us, no matter how old we are, would want to do something,” said Rangel.