House Votes to Kill Draft System, Despite Warnings on War Readiness

The House voted Monday to kill the Selective Service System that registers 18-year-olds for the draft, despite warnings that scrapping it would hurt the nation’s ability to prepare in case of war.

The House voted, 207 to 202, not to restore $20 million for the program, which had been stripped out of a spending bill by the House Appropriations Committee.

Under Monday’s action, only $5 million would remain, with that money directed for closing down the system at the end of this year. However, the Senate has not taken up the bill and could still restore the money.

As the only superpower left in the world and amid wide-scale defense cuts, America no longer needs to go through the motions of registering young men, said opponents of Selective Service.

“What a waste,” said Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.). “Let’s end this farce. The Cold War’s over. Let’s spend the money on something useful.”

Rep. Gerald B. H. Solomon (R-N.Y.) sponsored the amendment to put the $20 million back in. At one point, he interrupted one of the opponents who was arguing that America didn’t need to register potential soldiers anymore.

“What if you’re wrong, and I’m right? There’s no more America,” Solomon said.