The U.S. House Armed Services Committee passed a resolution  last week requiring women 18 and older to register for the military draft.

Montana Representative Ryan Zinke told KGVO News the proposal, called The Draft Our Daughters Act, pushed through the committee is not necessarily to actually force all women to register for the draft, but to initiate an important national discussion on the matter.

"I think we need to have this dialogue," Zinke said. "Women have a much more prominent role in the military than in years past. The Obama administration has chosen to open up all MOS's (Military Occupational Specialties) to women, and along with that would be their registry for Selective Service.I ended up voting against it because there doesn't seem to be any compelling interest given the numbers of women in service compared to men, so I think it's premature to mandate it, but I think nationally, it's time to have this dialogue."

Zinke speculated on the notion that the U.S. Government could make registering women for the draft an option, rather than a requirement.

"Certainly it's a possibility, because that's why the Selective Service was established, in the event that we need military personnel in the draft, than, that database is the Selective Service," he said. "As it stands right now, it has passed out of the Armed Services Committee, and now it goes to the full floor. There could be an amendment to remove it, then the Senate has their side. I spoke with Senator John McCain today. I think the most important issue is not Selective Service, but rather that our troops that are in harms way today, both men and women, have the right equipment, training and the right rules of engagement to win decisively. That's the most important decision that Congress has today."

Zinke said national demand for requiring women to register for Selective Service is 'fairly muted'.

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