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Senators propose abolishing the Selective Service
Stars & Stripes ^ | May 14, 2026 | Svetlana Shkolnikova

Posted on 05/17/2026 9:52:17 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Thursday to abolish the government agency that keeps a list of men eligible for the military draft. The senators say the agency, known as the Selective Service System, is costly and a relic of the past, operating with a budget of $31 million per year to prepare for a draft that has not occurred since 1973. “Our volunteer military forces are the strongest in the world, and there is no need to replicate the same draft that sent 2 million unwilling young men to war 50 years ago,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Wyden cosponsored the bill alongside Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Paul, a vocal advocate for congressional war powers, said Congress will declare war if it is worth fighting, and people will volunteer to fight it.

“This outdated government program no longer serves a purpose and should be eliminated permanently,” he said.

The bill comes as the Selective Service will begin automating the registration of men ages 18 to 25 for a potential draft, removing a decades-old requirement that male U.S. citizens and most male residents register themselves. News that the agency was moving forward with the automation, which will pull information from various federal government databases and is expected to be completed by December, sparked fears of a potential draft stemming from the current war against Iran. But lawmakers say the days of calling up young men to fight are over.

(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: draft; randpaul; selectiveservice; vietnamwar
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To: DIRTYSECRET

“Young ferals should be drafted “

That’s mean to ferals. We have some four-legged ones, and they’re wonderful. I think true ferals have no choice; these criminals have choices and have made bad ones.


81 posted on 05/17/2026 2:25:53 PM PDT by MayflowerMadam ( "Trouble knocked at the door, but, hearing laughter, hurried away". - B. Franklin)
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To: vpintheak

as if every baby born wasn’t automatically given a social security number, which gives the government an easy data base to search for draft age young men.


82 posted on 05/17/2026 3:19:24 PM PDT by Mastador1
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To: DesertRhino

Involuntary servitude was made universal with the 16th Amendment.


83 posted on 05/17/2026 3:33:29 PM PDT by No.6
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To: Freedom4US
$31 million isn’t even a rounding error, btw.

Can't even buy a Boeing for that.

84 posted on 05/17/2026 5:25:50 PM PDT by xone ( )
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To: ansel12

Wrongo. Put them in the DMZ-Korea. Kharg Island. Feed them lobster and steak. Let Islam save them. Just don’t let them return after conversion.


85 posted on 05/17/2026 7:40:29 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Nutty stuff, you sure seem hostile to our military.


86 posted on 05/17/2026 7:45:58 PM PDT by ansel12 (This could be a ship with insignificant weapons)
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To: ansel12

Come on. I did my time. More proud of my DD Form 214 than the BA sheepskin. Military life is funny and stupid at the same time. A good place to start.


87 posted on 05/17/2026 7:53:28 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: DIRTYSECRET

I’m just going by your posts.


88 posted on 05/17/2026 7:54:24 PM PDT by ansel12 (This could be a ship with insignificant weapons)
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To: ansel12

Please be advised I’m all over the place.


89 posted on 05/17/2026 8:08:28 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Their alternative - Press Gangs.


90 posted on 05/17/2026 8:34:36 PM PDT by PLMerite ("They say that we were Cold Warriors. Yes, and a bloody good show, too. 😁 " - Robert Conquest )
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

$31 Million annually so we can, if need be, be prepared to go to war?

Glad to see these people have their priorities in order.

How many on the democrat side of that bipartisan group have defended or supported the abject fraud that surrounds the illegal invasion?

7 Trillion budge, 2 TRILLION need cut just break even, and they target selective service for savings?


91 posted on 05/18/2026 5:52:08 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: Mastador1

This is true.


92 posted on 05/18/2026 11:14:14 AM PDT by vpintheak (The left is violence.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

$31 million per year for Selective Service System. Wasteful so wasteful.. they don’t seem to care about all the money the biden admin shoved out the doors with no account ability, the minnesota graft, the newscum kalifornia two step trucking loads of money out of state in the this was and is in the billions but $31 million per year for Selective Service System is wasteful.

Talk about your woke communist china ccp dreams...


93 posted on 05/18/2026 1:16:02 PM PDT by BFW
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To: BFW

Agreed! I didn’t realize the cost was so hefty!


94 posted on 05/18/2026 1:18:56 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege (🩰🌷 )
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To: BFW

Less than 20 cents per individual tax filer.


95 posted on 05/18/2026 1:21:50 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Mastador1

“as if every baby born wasn’t automatically given a social security number, “

Not automatic. But the enumeration request is integrated with the birth certificate process at the hospital.

Not birthed at a hospital will require first obtaining a birth certificate and then requesting a SS number from the SSA.


96 posted on 05/18/2026 1:32:00 PM PDT by TexasGator
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To: dfwgator
We ramped up pretty quickly in 1940.

In a time frame we likely won't have today. Expanded the military from a little under 500,000 to over 2 million by the end of 1941. On it's way to around 12 million. Due to the draft which was imposed in late 1940. Draftees plus those who opted to enlist rather than get drafted.

97 posted on 05/18/2026 1:45:19 PM PDT by SJackson (All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism)
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