A federal district court judge in Texas has ruled that requiring only men to register for the draft is unconstitutional. Maine 1st District Rep. Chellie Pingree says it’s about time. “Of course it should be both male and female," Pingree says. "We fought hard for women to serve in combat positions and we should expect that any law would apply to both of the sexes.”
The Military Selective Service Act, or draft, requires only men in the U.S. aged 18 through 25 to register in case the country ever needs a military draft. Women aren’t required to.
The judge ruled that violates the Equal Protection provisions in the Constitution. Pingree has voted to apply the draft to women in the past.
Pingree 2 “ I have actually supported bills in the past to have a draft so that we don’t continually try to just attempt to staff our army with less than a cross section of Amerca.”