With all the problems facing America - both at home and abroad - The House Armed Services Committee decided on Wednesday to solve one of the nation's crucial "problems" - a "sexist draft."
As Military.com reports on Wednesday the committee approved (by a narrow margin) an amendment to a defense bill to require women to register for the draft.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican from California, proposed the amendment to lift the restriction on women registering for the selective service at a committee-wide mark-up session of the proposed fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.
"Here is why I think this is important; it doesn't matter in this debate whether you think women should be in the infantry or be in special operations," Hunter said during the session on Wednesday night. "I personally don't. If we had that vote in committee today I would vote against women being in infantry and special operations.
"But this is not about women serving in the infantry. The administration has made that decision unilaterally disregarding what the Marine Corps and special operations communities have said. But that's not what this is about. Right now the draft is sexist. Right now the draft only drafts young men. Women are excluded."
Ironically, Hunter then went on to explain that his generation has not seen the kind of warfare that requires a draft... and so why waste time on this? Unless they think something is coming?
"That is what a draft is for," he added. "A draft is because people started dying in the infantry and you need more bodies in infantry, that is what a draft if for. The administration would like to make this decision on its own. I think we should make this decision."
Hunter, who requested a roll-call vote on the measure, ended up voting against his own amendment.
The amendment passed 32 votes to 30 votes, with strong support from female committee members.
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