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The Senate is heading for a showdown over women registering for the draft.

Supporters of requiring women to sign up for Selective Service see the upper chamber as their last best hope for getting legislation to President Obama’s desk.

They’ve turned their attention to the Senate after suffering a setback in the House, which last week dropped language requiring women to register from its version of the annual defense bill.

Proponents say women already have the green light to serve in combat roles, hurting the legal argument for excluding them from the draft. But opponents say Congress needs to spend more time studying the politically tricky issue instead of tucking it into a massive “must pass” bill.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has already included a requirement to open the draft to women in its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a move that sparked outrage from conservatives.

The battle will come to a head on the Senate floor, where conservative opponents are expected to make a last stand to remove the provision. If successful they would effectively kill any chance of Congress approving the policy change.

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Noting that women are already serving in combat-like roles, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said … that he backs allowing women to sign up for the draft.

“I do believe that Selective Service should be opened up for both men and women in case a draft is ever instituted,” he said, asked if women should be required to sign up “in case of a national emergency.”

But—underscoring the political sensitivity of the topic—he appeared to make a distinction days later in South Carolina, saying that he doesn’t believe the United States still needs a draft.

“I do not support drafting women and forcing them to be combat soldiers. I don’t support that. I never have and I don’t now,” he added.

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