From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Michelle Cordero, and this is Heritage Explains.

Last year, with no debate and no real scrutiny, Congress added to the annual National Defense Authorization

Act a provision to require young women to register for military conscription.

The provision was dropped, but proponents are quietly trying to add it again this year.

An important hypothetical question today on Capitol Hill.

If the United States should someday need to resume the military draft, should women be in the mix?

Right now, federal law says only men have to register with the selective service.

All U.S. citizens and immigrant non-citizens between 18 and 25 who who were assigned male at birth, are required by law

to register within 30 days of their 18th birthday.

The nation has not imposed the draft since 1973,

during the Vietnam War.

Proponents of adding women to the draft argue that it's about fairness,

and that women are equal to men and should be included.

But what are the implications of adding women to the draft?

And should we even still have a draft?

Today, James Carapano,

Vice President of Heritage's Davis Institute for International Studies and the E.W. Richardson

Fellow and 25-year Army veteran explains. Our conversation after this break.

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