Wicker, Hyde-Smith support measure to keep women from being compelled to register for the draft

Miss. Senators oppose requiring women between the ages of 18 and 25 to register for the Selective Service System.

This week, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith signed onto an amendment to the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would remove a provision from HR.4350 requiring women between the ages of 18 and 25 to register for the Selective Service System.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s proposed 2022 defense policy bill contains a provision that would require women to register for the draft, known as the Selective Service System. As it is now written, Selective Service law refers specifically to “male persons” in stating who must register and who would be drafted.

“I applaud the women who volunteer to serve in the military and who sacrifice every day for our country’s freedom, but to compel their service by law is wrong,” Senator Wicker said. “I along with millions of other Americans cannot support the idea that our daughters and granddaughters would be forced to fight in our next military conflict against their will.”

“I have great admiration for the women who serve in our Armed Forces, and every opportunity to serve should be available to women. I do not, however, see any compelling reason to expand the Selective Service System,” Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith said.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced the amendment stating that, “it is wrong to force daughters, mothers, wives, and sisters to fight our wars.”

“Our country is extremely grateful for the brave women who have volunteered to serve our country with and alongside our fighting forces,” Senator Hawley said. “They have played a vital role in defending America at every point in our nation’s history. But volunteering for military service is not the same as being forced into it, and no woman should be compelled to do so.”