[extropy-chat] US Politics: Draft?

[Robert J. Bradbury]

I've received some information about:

>  Two companion bills, HR 163 and S 89, are currently pending,
>  very quietly, in the Armed Services Committees of the US House
>  and Senate.  These bills form the "Universal National Service Act"
>  which would draft all American men and women aged 18-26 for military
>  or civilian service, starting spring 2005.

These are HR 163 and S 89 which can be looked up on http://thomas.loc.gov/
It looks like they are trying to draft people possibly into 2 years of
service (so much for the volunteer military).

The part that I'm scratching my head over was that they were introduced
in early 2003 (before Iraq started) and didn't seem to go anywhere.
Do they have to be reintroduced in 2004 or do they remain in the queue?

The strange part is that one of the sponsors for the HR bill is McDermott
who is my congressman (who has to be one of the most liberal persons
in the House of Representatives).

Robert