Freedom Caucus urges opposition to defense bill over ‘draft our daughters’ provision

The House Freedom Caucus is urging the Republican party to oppose the defense bill over a provision that would require women to register for the draft. 

The $768 billion bill is expected to be voted on Thursday. Members of the conservative caucus asked Republicans to vote against it since it would expand the Selective Service System to include women, NBC News reported. 

“Right now if you are voting for the NDAA, you’re voting to draft our daughters,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said Wednesday during a press conference.

“There is no other position you can take,” he added.

The amendment was originally proposed in the House Armed Services Committee by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and passed the committee at the beginning of September. 

It has since received bipartisan support and most Republicans are expected to vote to pass the defense bill. 

“The Democrats and sadly some Republicans want to draft your daughters, this is wrong and it’s immoral and they are doing it anyway,” Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) said Wednesday.

“We are proud of the courageous women who have served and are serving in our military in defending our nation but our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters should not be part of this draft. This is left-wing, woke agenda gone too far,” she added. 

When Houlahan introduced the amendment, she argued that not having women in the draft made it seem as though their role was less important. 

“By reforming the Selective Service to be gender-neutral based registration, we draw on the talents of our entire nation in the time of a national emergency,” Houlahan said. “The current male-only registration sends a message to women not only that they are not vital to the defense of the country, but also that they are not expected to participate in defending it.”

The draft currently requires all men ages 18 to 25 to sign up. The draft has not been used since the Vietnam War.