Note: I will be posting this and two others early as I will have unreliable internet connection over about the next week.
In 1973, President Nixon ended the draft, and by 1975 men no longer were obligated to sign up with Selective Service, leaving the program in limbo. However, on December 24, 1979, the USSR began their invasion of Afghanistan, and on January 24, 1980, President Carter as one of his responses restored the Selective Service in case the US should need to quickly mobilize. While national security advocates praised the move, civil liberties and student groups were strongly opposed (UPI). However, what makes this matter interesting is that in the 1980 campaign, it placed Ronald Reagan to the left of Carter. Reagan condemned the resumption of the Selective Service and promised to eliminate it as president. He was quite critical of military conscription as a concept, asserting that it “rests on the assumption that your kids belong to the state…That assumption isn’t a new one. The Nazis thought it was a great idea” (Gregory). What’s more, it produced some interesting divisions within the Republican and Democratic parties when funding came for a vote. The critical vote for funding in the House was on April 22nd, passing 218-188, with Democrats voting for 135-122 and Republicans voting for 83-66. The Senate followed up on June 12th, passing the bill 58-34, with Democrats breaking for 33-18 and Republicans at 25-16.
Divides Among Republicans
The frightening idea that your children belong to the state brought up by Reagan was on the minds of numerous conservatives on the Republican side who voted against, fearing a restoration of the draft. These included Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah as well as Representatives John Rousselot of California, formerly a spokesman for the John Birch Society, Phil Crane of Illinois, who was conservative on almost everything, and Ron Paul of Texas, consistent with his libertarian brand. However, there were plenty of prominent conservatives who voted for. Senators Barry Goldwater of Arizona and Jesse Helms of North Carolina voted for, as did future Vice President Dick Cheney and future Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. This vote also split, interestingly enough, moderate to liberal Republicans. Resuming the Selective Service won the vote of the ultimate liberal Republican of the Senate, Jacob Javits of New York, as well as those of John Chafee of Rhode Island and Robert Stafford of Vermont. However, Mac Mathias of Maryland and Mark Hatfield of Oregon voted against.
Future Presidents and Hopefuls
Joe Biden did not cast a vote on the Selective Service measure, while future Presidential candidate Bob Dole voted against as did 1984 contender for the Democratic nomination Gary Hart of Colorado. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, actively campaigning for president, saw this vote as important enough to show up to vote against. The service-minded John Glenn of Ohio, who would run for the Democratic nomination in 1984, voted for, as did South Carolinian Fritz Hollings. John B. Anderson of Illinois, seeking the Republican nomination and then running as an Independent, voted against.
The “Solid South” Comes Out in Full Force
The politicians of the states of the former Confederacy were strongly for this measure. Senators from these states voted 19-0 for, and representatives on the key amendment to appropriate funds voted 87-9 for. Then nine dissenters were Edward Stack (D-Fla.), W. Henson Moore (R-La.), Mendel Davis (D-S.C.), Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), Jim Collins (R-Tex.), Mickey Leland (D-Tex.), Ron Paul (R-Tex.), Herb Harris (D-Va.), and Joe Fisher (D-Va.). Of the Democrats, only one was in the moderate camp, while the others were staunch liberals. Of the three Republicans, Collins was known as arch-conservative and Paul, well, we know where he is. Moore was the only Deep South Republican opposed.
Divides Among Democrats
Among Democrats, the figures were of interest as well. Conservative Democrats in the Senate to a man voted for, while there were some splits among liberals. Birch Bayh of Indiana, who was generally known as quite a liberal, voted for, as did Abe Ribicoff of Connecticut, the latter who had become a bit more conservative on defense issues in his later career. Pete Williams of New Jersey, known as a staunch liberal, voted for as well. As might be expected, certain outspoken foes of the Vietnam War were opposed, such as George McGovern of South Dakota and Bill Proxmire of Wisconsin. My home state of Washington split on this one, with the anti-détente Henry “Scoop” Jackson voting for and Warren “Maggie” Magnuson voting against. Although the men agreed on most things, they did split on the Vietnam War. Speaking of Washington, its House delegation was overwhelmingly against, with only Democrat Norm Dicks voting in favor.
The Curious Cases of Oklahoma and Utah and South Dakota Meeting Expectations
Of the states, two had divisions that would seldom be expected: Senator Henry Bellmon and Representative Mickey Edwards, Oklahoma’s Republicans, voted against while all the state’s Democrats voted for. Utah’s Democratic Representative K. Gunn McKay voted for while the state’s Republican senators and its representative voted against. South Dakota, on the other hand, is the only state that would likely fit common perceptions of the parties among today’s young, with voting Democrats against and Republican Senator Larry Pressler for.
Conclusion
I see this vote in several ways. For one, it does function on a conservative/liberal scale (although not strongly on the conservative side), as Americans for Constitutional Action counted a vote for as favorable and Americans for Democratic Action counted a vote against as favorable. However, it also functions to determine who the more libertarian individuals in the parties are as well as establishment vs. anti-establishment. Ideologically, on the opposition side, there is a horseshoe effect going on with many of the Vietnam War’s prominent opponents against but also those who shared Reagan’s opposition, fearing it would lead to the resumption of the draft. Incidentally, Reagan as president walked back on that one, supporting an extension of the Selective Service in 1982 after being advised by the Presidential Military Manpower Task Force to continue it, and we have had it since (Reagan).
References
Carter revives selective service. (1980, January 24). UPI.
Retrieved from
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/01/24/Carter-revives-selective-service/1941579661751
Gregory, A. (2004, June 15). Honor Reagan’s Promise and Abolish the Selective Service. Independent Institute.
Retrieved from
https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=1317
Reagan, R. (1982, January 7). Statement on Continuation of the Registration Program Under the Military Selective Service Act. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.
Retrieved from
To agree to Appropriations Committee Amendment to H.J. Res. 521, Draft Registration, that increases the transfer authority to Selective Service from $4.7 million to $13.295 million. Voteview.
Retrieved from
https://www.voteview.com/rollcall/RH0960842
To pass H.J. Res. 521. (Motion Passed) See Note(s) 29. Voteview.
Retrieved from
Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History 