IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 368

Expressing the sense of Congress that reinstating the military draft or implementing any other form of compulsory military service in the United

States would be detrimental to the long-term military interests of the

United States, violative of individual liberties protected by the Constitution, and inconsistent with the values underlying a free society as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 20, 2002

Mr. PAUL (for himself, Ms. MCKINNEY, and Mr. STARK) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

Armed Services

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress that reinstating the military draft or implementing any other form of compulsory

military service in the United States would be detrimental to the long-term military interests of the United

States, violative of individual liberties protected by the

Constitution, and inconsistent with the values underlying

a free society as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

Whereas the Armed Forces have successfully fulfilled the

military needs of the United States for almost 30 years

solely on the basis of voluntary service;
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•HCON 368 IH

Whereas the Department of Defense issued a report in 1993

titled ‘‘A Review of the Continued Requirement for Draft

Registration’’, which stated that draft registration could

be suspended without irreparable damage to national security;

Whereas each branch of the Armed Forces has traditionally

been able to meet or exceed its recruitment targets;

Whereas the recent success of the Armed Forces in Afghanistan has once again demonstrated the ability of the volunteer military to respond to threats to the lives, liberty,

and property of the people of the United States;

Whereas a military draft introduces tensions and rivalries between those who volunteer for military service and those

who have been conscripted, thus undermining the cohesiveness of military units, which is vital to military effectiveness;

Whereas those individuals who are forced to serve in the military are unlikely to choose the military as a career or to

share the same enthusiasm for military service as those

who volunteer;

Whereas the most effective method of meeting the personnel

needs of the Armed Forces is to increase the pay and

benefits of veterans and members of the Armed Forces;

Whereas General Vladisova Putlin, Chief of the Russian General Staff, commenting on plans to end the military draft

in Russia, said ‘‘This is the great dream of all servicemen, when our army will become completely professional’’;

Whereas the reinstatement of the military draft in the United

States is opposed by leaders and organizations of various

political affiliations, including former President Ronald
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•HCON 368 IH

Reagan, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan,

Noble laureates Milton Friedman and James Buchanan,

former Senator Bill Bradley, the American Civil Liberties

Union, Minnesota Governor and former Navy SEAL,

Jesse Ventura, Americans for Tax Reform, the National

Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste,

the Friends Committee on National Legislation, United

Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society,

Veterans for Peace, the Libertarian Party, the Mennonite

Church, and the Conservative Caucus;

Whereas the military draft violates the principles of liberty on

which the United States was founded; and

Whereas compulsory military service is a form of involuntary

servitude: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that rein3 stating the military draft or implementing any other form

4 of compulsory military service in the United States would

5 be detrimental to the long-term military interests of the

6 United States, violative of individual liberties protected by

7 the Constitution, and inconsistent with the values under8 lying a free society as expressed in the Declaration of

9 Independence.

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