What's the Real Reason Democrats Pushed to Include Women in the Draft—and Why Did Five Republicans Go Along With It?

Including women in the draft seems like the kind of thing a nation being overwhelmed by foreign armies might do out of desperation, but House Democrats did just that on Thursday in the current defense appropriations bill.

Language slipped into the bill by Congresscritter Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) would require young women — presumably the traditional XX variety — to register with the Selective Service.

Politico reports that “if the provision remains in the defense bill and passes on the House floor,” then the measure has a “high chance of becoming law.” The Senate Armed Services Committee adopted a similar provision.

The Washington Free Beacon reports that “Houlahan’s measure passed 35-24, with five Republicans crossing party lines to support it,” proving yet again that the useless showboating is all-too-often a bipartisan effort.

Worse, is Republicans stupidly caving to a long-term Democrat goal in ways that are bad for the nation and in defiance of their constituents’ wishes.

Some Democrats actually love the draft. Today’s far-left Dems have nothing but fond memories of the political wins they scored against their centrist brethren in the ’60s and early ’70s in no small part because of the draft.

Former Congressman Charlie Rangel spent his last years pushing to bring back the actual draft, not merely Selective Service registration, but for partisan political reasons, not for national defense.

The military is opposed to the draft for a couple of simple reasons. The first is that our high-tech military requires troops who are highly trained, but by the time you get a draftee fully up to speed, it’s time to let him go. The second is that the military has long institutional memories of how the draft helped nearly destroy the military in Vietnam. It took years — and switching back to an all-volunteer force — to recover.

For Rangel and others, bringing back the draft serves a couple of nifty purposes.

The first is that the draft can be used as a cudgel against young voters who might be thinking of voting for one of those evil, warmongering Republicans. Is it true? No. Does it matter? No. Republicans still generally believe in a strong national defense (something the draft would not provide) and are therefore easily painted as warmongers by the Democrat-Media Complex.

The second is that a broken military seems to serve the Democrats just fine, if recent events (not to mention the tumult of the ’60s, the Great RIF of the ’90s, etc.) are anything to go by.

There’s a third extra-bonus deluxe advantage.

Bringing back the draft would make a fine excuse for Democrats to enact universal national service, which would basically serve as a two- or three-year indoctrination camp. Congresscritter Houlahan’s measure to bring women in, at a time of relative peace and safety, is evidence of their intentions.

The draft is divisive and militarily a bad idea. Democrats want it for exactly those reasons — so why did five Republicans join them?