This is how the bill is represented on OpenCongress.org:
"H.R.5741 - Universal National Service Act
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes."Clearly this has been a pet project of Mr. Rangel since 2003. According to OpenCongress.org reporting of statements, this is a strategy to AVOID war. Read the following quote from their website:
"Calls for a renewed military draft
In 2003, immediately before the United States invasion of Iraq, Rangel called on Congress to reinstate a military draft, the last of which had been discontinued at the end of the Vietnam War. He advocated the idea on the basis that it would both spread military service more equitably across the socio-economic spectrum and make leaders think more carefully before engaging in military action which would put members of their communities in harm's way, his contention being that the military is disproportionately made up by normally disenfranchised segments of the population. His bill would have created a draft of people aged 18-26.[1]In 2006, he introduced a similar bill mandating service for those between the ages of 18 and 42. Neither bill progressed in the Republican-controlled Congress and neither received tremendous attention in the press.[1]
After the November 7 Democratic midterm victory, Rangel once again voiced his desire to see a draft implemented. As a top member of the newly-minted, majority party, this declaration received much more attention than his previous attempts to introduced legislation. His proposal called for using the draftees at airports and seaports as well as in the military. Democratic leaders, however, immediately released statements saying that reinstating the draft was not on their agenda for the 110th Congress. Opinion polls at the time showed that 70% of Americans opposed reviving conscription.[1}"
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