Senate Democrats Put 'Draft Women' Clause in National Defense Authorization Act | 24 June 2024 | Senate Democrats have added a provision to a yearly defense bill that would require women to sign up for the draft, prompting opposition from Republicans. The yearly bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, authorizes the fiscal year budget for the Pentagon, but it also authorizes policies and programs at the Pentagon. The House and Senate each pass a version that gets meshed together into one. This year, Democrats -- who control the Senate and the committee drafting the defense bill -- included a provision in their version that would require women to register for the draft, according to The Hill. The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), said he will try to strip it out of the bill.