National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, as we move forward with cloture, I wish to make a clarification for the record.

There has been a lot of conversation about this issue of the role of women as far as Selective Service is concerned. At the time the amendments were filed, there was no amendment, except one, from the Senator from Utah, who is on the floor.

As soon as we began consideration of the bill, I said to the Senator from Utah: When do you want to do your amendment on women in the Selective Service?

His response was that he wanted to do another amendment first.

I said: Look, the way things work, you may have great difficulty getting that up. Nor has the Senator from Utah or anyone else raised the amendment for a vote.

So I am sorry to say that out there, there seems to be some conversation that Senator McCain was blocking a vote on women in the Selective Service. I am not. Right now, if it were germane--and I don't know if it is germane or not--I have repeatedly said that if that amendment is up for consideration, I would be glad to have that amendment considered and to have it voted on.

So I want to clarify that for the record. I did not block any amendment concerning women being eligible for Selective Service. I want the record to be very clear.

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