Will the Military Draft Return?

Could there be a possibility of the military draft being put back into effect in the US? If it is up to Rep. Charles Rangel of New York then the answer would be yes. Rangel is a Democrat who will probably head the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and says he is going to propose a new military draft. He believes that reinstating the military draft would help strengthen the US military and keep us prepared for any future military actions in Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Rangel later told reporters "There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft, and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way."

The Selective Service System says that they are ready and able to respond to any crisis that would involve the need of a military draft. The also said that they could have everything ready in 193 days. This number is based off the more than 15 million names from the US that are eligible and registered for the Selective Service, which is required by law for all men between the ages of 18 and 26 to be registered.

However, it seems that Rep. Charles Rangel does not have a lot of support in trying to implement the military draft again, which has not been used since 1973 when the US went to an all volunteer military. Incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House Democratic Party will not support Rep. Rangel in his effort to re-establish the military draft. Also, this is not the first time Rangel has tried to push the draft. He proposed the draft just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and again earlier this year.

Charles Rangel

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