mr. speaker , i rise in support of our armed forces and in support of this nation 's continued efforts to give it the additional strength and stability it needs to keep our men and women safe . 
the members of this house have joined their constituents in mourning the loss of life and injuries sustained in the course of america 's war and subsequent occupation of iraq for two years . 
since the beginning of the iraq war in march 2003 , 1 , 423 members of the u.s. military have died , which includes 1 , 084 as a result of hostile action and 333 of non-hostile causes . 
furthermore , my district of houston has experienced two deaths already since january ; six deaths in 2004 ; five in 2003 ; and numerous injuries over the course of the nation 's engagement . 
no doubt , mr. speaker , i fully support the armed services . 
in the spirit of achieving the goal of attracting the best and brightest candidates for service , i join my colleague from california in advocating this legislation . 
however , we must support our troops in accordance with the u.s. constitution and with respect for civil rights and fundamental freedoms that are the rubric of this nation . 
when the house debated h.r. 3966 , which would allow for the denial of federal funds for educational institutions unless military recruiters are provided access to the campuses of these institutions , i voted `` yes '' on passage of the measure with the understanding that no constitutional contravention would result from its implementation . 
the resolution that is before the house today , however , is controversial because the final disposition of underlying federal jurisprudence could play a major role clarifying the way we apply constitutional principles to an act of congress . 
the holding in forum for academic and institutional rights v. rumsfeld tells us that we must be very careful in the way we regulate society so as not to violate fundamental rights . 
( 390 f.3d 219 ( 3rd cir . 
2004 ) ) . 
so , mr. speaker , i do support the intent of this legislation because i honor the men and women who serve in our armed services and who sacrifice their lives for us . 
however , i also support the upholding of the united states constitution and the respect for jurisprudence , and i believe it seriously damages our commitment to the three branches of government to encourage the interference with judicial decisions before a final rendering of a final review by the u.s. supreme court . 
