The Senate has approved a bill requiring women to register for the draft

This week, the Senate approved a historic bill which would require women turning 18 on or after Jan. 1, 2018, to register for the draft, something that has not been used since the Vietnam War in 1973.

In 1981, the Supreme Court ruled that requiring women to register for the draft was unconstitutional because women were not allowed to serve in combat. With combat now open to people of all genders, the House Armed Service Committee has voted 32-30 to include the amendment in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

The amendment has drawn support from senators on both sides of the political isle, with notable opposition from Senator Ted Cruz.

“The idea that we should forcibly conscript young girls in combat to my mind makes little sense at all,” Cruz said on the Senate floor.

“I respect the senator from Texas’s view. Too bad that view is not shared by our military leadership, the ones who have had the experience in combat with women,” was the rebuttal from Senator John McCain.

The bill will now go to the House of Representatives, where it may struggle to get through, as a similar provision was struck down earlier this spring. Furthermore, the amendment is part of a larger bill with several elements that may prevent its passage. President Obama has already threatened a veto over a section that would prevent his administration from closing Guantanamo Bay.

Whether the bill goes through or not, it’s clear that the issue of women in the draft is not going away any time soon.