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U.S. GOVERNMENT 1: House Bill Targets Females in Military

Under a House bill passed on May 19, 2005, that sets policy for the Defense Department and new spending plans for the next budget year, women in the military will not be allowed to participate in direct ground combat roles.

Representative John McHugh, a Republican from New York, sponsored the amendment. He believes women soldiers should serve everywhere except in ground combat.

This bill would put into law a government policy dating back from 1994 that bans female troops in all four service branches from serving in units whose main job is ground combat.

The House Armed Services Committee approved the new military measure on Thursday with a 61-1 vote. Representative Cynthia McKinney, a Democrat from Georgia, was the only congressperson who voted against the bill.

Although the bill passed, many Democrats opposed the law because they believe it makes it harder for commanders to be flexible with their soldiers. Some feel the bill was rushed into law without being carefully constructed and without the opinions of the top commanders in military operations.

About 20 percent of military positions in Iraq are now filled by women. This new law will close 22,000 jobs to women serving in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

--Written by Pota Papakos

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