Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine has indicated that she might push for elimination of the Bartlett Amendment or for a reduction of the notification requirements to less than 120 days. Eliminating the Bartlett Amendment, or reducing the notification requirements would leave an opening for President Clinton to assign women to submarines without congressional debate or approval. Adding women to the crew of a submarine adds nothing to its capabilities. In fact, making submarines coed will reduce the ability of the crew to function smoothly and efficiently. There is no wasted space on a submarine.
Every cubic foot has a function.
Open spaces exist only for the crew to move about and operate equipment, or to provide access for maintenance. The crew's mess doubles as a classroom and movie theater. During combat operations, the wardroom becomes an operating room. The crew's lounge is a staging area for damage control equipment when a casualty occurs. So self sufficient are these underwater weapons that the limitation on how long a submarine can stay submerged is based on the amount of food it can carry and the fatigue of the crew.