Selective Service resists closure
Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo. tried to shut down the $23 million Selective Service office but met stiff resistance in Congress, according to the Army Times;
Coffman said he was surprised to learn that legislative jurisdiction over the Selective Service rests not with the Armed Services Committee, which would use draftees, but with the House Financial Services Committee. That panel, primarily responsible for writing tax laws and handling big federal entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, refused to waive jurisdiction, preventing Coffman from offering his amendment to kill the Selective Service.
Coffman has the unique perspective of being one of the 175 reserve military officers who served in the agency;
Coffman, who was once one of those reserve officers on loan to the Selective Service, said he continues to believe the agency should be shut down, but it is going to take a little longer than he thought.
“I still believe we are wasting money on the Selective Service, but shutting it down isn’t going to be quick or easy,” Coffman said.
Since there is no one brave enough to reconstitute the draft, since no one takes it seriously and register any more, and the all-volunteer military is a complete success, it’s the easiest way to save the taxpayers several million bucks. I don’t know why we cling to this boondoggle, other than as a jobs program.
Category: Congress sucks, Military issues
There is nothing more permanent than a temporary government program.
OT is spot on.
Selective Service registration has been tied to too many laws governing all sorts of things. Bureaucracies make rules based on laws, and it all becomes a house of cards. Selective Service Registration is a card near the bottom – remove it, and all the rules fail for males over the age of 18.
Evidence of too many laws, too many rules and regulations, and no governance to be found.
while I agree that there is too much around your Selective Service number, (and social) the fact is, should there be a truly horrendous war in the future, we will need this particular annoyance.
#3 Doc Bailey,
I disagree. If there was a truly horrendous war, the usual crowd would head north, sabotage our efforts, and make friendly with the enemy. No sense in putting them in uniform to do even more damage.
Selective service registration is nessary for possible mass conscription and mobilization of the adult male population. Antiquated or not it serves an end. Whether we could actually implement it in practice is whole different conversation. If you don’t like it, replaces it with something else, but to disregard it with no substitute is out right irresponsible and dangerous.
Whats that old joke about congress be obligated to creat a committee on “Unintended Consequences”, to examine all potential legislation before it reaches the floor?
.