The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Friday that automatically registers 18 to 26-year-old men for selective service as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act.
The NDAA authorized $895.2 billion in military spending, an increase of $9 billion from fiscal 2024. The largest-ever military pay raise in history was also included, with almost a 20% increase for junior enlisted troops and a 4.5% increase for others.
All U.S. male citizens must register for selective service when they turn 18. Failing to do so is classified as a felony.
The bill is timely for two reasons.
The wars in Israel and Ukraine, coupled with perpetual threats from China and Russia, have created an unpredictable global order. President Joe Biden’s lack of resolve and flawed foreign policy are putting young people’s lives in ever-increasing danger.
Military recruitment is also down a disturbing degree. The percentage of active military members has decreased by almost 40% since 1987. More than half of adults under 30 currently hold a negative view of the military.
Shockingly, white liberals are the least likely group to volunteer for service.
The anti-American rhetoric that’s ubiquitous in our academic institutions and leftist culture is to blame for this national tragedy. The far Left has convinced far too many young people that America isn’t worth fighting for, that our missteps far outweigh our accomplishments, and that allegiance to your own country somehow correlates with historical ignorance.
This disingenuous rhetoric is both flat-out wrong and manifestly disastrous. It should be no surprise that recruitment numbers are down. In recent years, you couldn’t even stand for the national anthem without being attacked for moral ineptitude.
The U.S. Air Force selects officers through a gender and race-based quota system. Under Biden, the military started releasing advertisements in 2021 that emphasized diversity and individualism in an attempt to recruit more young people.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) fell into this leftist trap Friday when he criticized the bill by saying, “Unsurprisingly, the legislation coming out of the House today is loaded with anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice, anti-environment, and other divisive amendments guaranteed not to pass the Senate.”
Combine this nonsensical narrative with the U.S. Department of Defense reporting that only 23% of young people between the ages of 17 and 24 would even qualify to join the military due to health and drug problems, and it’s clear that we have a domestically existential problem on our hands.
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Unsurprisingly, recruiting has remained relatively strong in the South and Midwest and has disproportionately wavered on either coast.
Though it’s increasingly rare to find young people willing to sacrifice themselves for our country, there are still many of us who will fight for those who won’t.