Seth Meyers cheers women joining the military draft, jeers Republican who accidentally enabled it

(Image credit: Late Night)

"Turning 18 in the United States brings several important milestones, including the right to vote, the right to serve on a jury, and the right to get a tattoo you will later regret," Seth Meyers said on Thursday's Late Night. "Now, if you're a guy, turning 18 also means it's time to register for the draft — of course, there's no active draft right now, but all men between age 18 and 25 have to register for selective service in case we start using one again." Soon, women could have to register, too, thanks to a bill introduced as a joke by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.): the paternalistic-sounding Draft America's Daughters Act.

"Now, Duncan is opposed to letting women serve in combat roles, and he thought that by sarcastically introducing a bill to require them to register for the draft, he would make his point," Meyers said. "But his O. Henry–style strategy backfired," and it turns out a majority of people on his House Armed Services Committee thought it was a great idea to expand the draft to women — much to Hunter's chagrin. "That is the look of a guy who suggested an open marriage to his wife, but now she's the only one getting laid," Meyers said, pointing to a photo of the congressman. "Women have been serving in essential roles in the military all along, but the ban on women serving in combat created the illusion that they were less valuable to the military than men," Meyers concluded. "Including women in the draft is controversial, but it's an important step in dismantling that narrative." Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.