Most of the Republicans on the Armed Services Committee reportedly voted yes or ‘not present’ on an amendment in a budget bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), that requires women to register for Selective Service, or the draft. And only two Republicans — Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) — voted no on the NDAA.
The vote reportedly took place behind closed doors, but some committee members, like Sens. Cotton and Hawley, spoke openly about their no votes and their concerns about the draft amendment. Moreover, reports circulated online revealed a further breakdown of the vote.
According to a report from CQ-Roll Call, “most of the committee’s Republicans voted for the amendment, five voted no, senators and aides disclosed.”
A statement from the committee released Thursday noted that the final vote on approval of the NDAA was 23-3.
“That vote count was the only tally from the markup that has been made public, even though numerous amendments were considered. Moreover, the panel has not yet officially disclosed which way any individual senators voted in the closed-door proceeding,” CQ-Roll Call noted.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) posted a list of senators to Twitter on Monday regarding the vote breakdown on the NDAA amendment requiring women to register for the draft. The no votes — a total of five, which corresponds to the CQ-Roll Call report — included the following Republicans:
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)
The Republicans who voted yes or not present, according to Rep. Roy, included:
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE)
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Sem. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Voted NO to drafting daughters:
James Inhofe
Wicker, Roger
Cotton, Tom
Hawley, Josh
Rounds, MikeEither Voted YES (or Not Present) to drafting daughters to war:
Fischer, Deb
Ernst, Joni
Tillis, Thom
Sullivan, Dan
Cramer, Kevin
Scott, Rick
Blackburn, Marsha
Tuberville, Tommy— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) July 26, 2021
“Our military has welcomed women for decades and are stronger for it,” Sen. Cotton posted to Twitter on Friday. “But America’s daughters shouldn’t be drafted against their will. I opposed this amendment in committee, and I’ll work to remove it before the defense bill passes.”
“I voted against forcing women to enter the draft, and here’s why,” wrote Sen. Hawley. “American women have heroically served in and alongside our fighting forces since our nation’s founding. It’s one thing to allow American women to choose this service, but it’s quite another to force it upon our daughters, sisters, and wives. Missourians feel strongly that compelling women to fight our wars is wrong and so do I.”
As highlighted by The Daily Wire last week, a summary of the budget bill indicates that the approved NDAA “amends Military Selective Service Act to require the registration of women for Selective Service.”
The draft “highlight” comes under a portion of the Act’s summary called the “Subcommittee on personnel.”
“Under the leadership of Chairwoman Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ranking Member Thom Tillis (R-NC), the subcommittee mark advances numerous measures that strengthen the All-Volunteer Force and improve the quality of life of the men and women of the armed forces, their families, and the Department of Defense civilian workforce, and includes numerous reforms the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to address sexual assault and harassment within the military,” the summary reads.
Related: Reactions Pour In After Senate Panel Votes To Make Women Register For Draft: ‘Equality’