Is the United States preparing to bring back a military draft? It’s a rumor that has been picking up steam on social media for the past several weeks.

One post says the U.S. is forcing men to the military. Another asks if the U.S. is getting ready to reinstate the draft. Even rap superstar Cardi B chimed in with a video that has gone viral.

“I just read an article saying that the House just passed a bill that they’re going to automatically register men from 18 to 26 for war,” Cardi B said.

However, the bill Cardi B is referencing, House Bill 8070, does not reinstate the draft. It passed in June and calls for automatically registering men ages 18 to 25 with the Selective Service System.

The United States hasn’t had a military draft since 1973. Since 1980, all men ages 18 to 25 have been required to register in the event that a draft were to be reinstated.

According to its 2023 Annual Report, the Selective Service System has an annual budget of about $31 million. While it is spending more money on outreach, the number of young men registering has slipped. Compliance was 84% in 2022, down 5 percentage points from the previous year.

Selective Service says automated registration would “shift the responsibility from individuals to the federal government.” However, talk of a draft could threaten the proposal.

“You gonna draft these kids that be TikToking all day to fight, what, the Russians?” Cardi B said in her video.

In response to the misinformation floating around, Acting Director of Selective Service Joel Spangenberg issued a statement, saying “Automated registration will not reinstate a draft. Reinstating a draft would require a separate law to be passed.”

So, the claim that Congress has approved a military draft is FALSE.

The automated registration proposal is still not a done deal, as the Senate has not yet taken up the vote. If passed, the automated system would use DMV and Social Security records.

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