mr. speaker , i rise today in strong support of h. con . 
res. 36 . 
this resolution expresses the continued support of congress for the so-called solomon law , a critical piece of legislation originally passed in 1994 which has helped ensure that military recruiters have equal access on our nation 's campuses . 
we are debating this resolution today only because of a recent court decision that wrongfully struck down the solomon law . 
in november of last year , a closely divided u.s. third circuit court of appeals ruled that the solomon law violates first amendment rights to free speech and association . 
the court sided with the plaintiff arguing that `` the solomon amendment requires law schools to express a message that is incompatible with their educational objectives , and no compelling governmental interest has been shown to deny this freedom. '' mr. speaker , i can not disagree more with this assessment . 
in our post-9/11 world , our nation 's military deserves , at least the same access to institutions of higher education that any other major employer might enjoy . 
this is certainly a modest and i believe a reasonable request , especially if the college or university accepts federal funds . 
this is not about infringing free speech ; it is about ensuring our military has access to our nation 's best and brightest at a time when we face enormous challenges abroad . 
this resolution expresses the continued support of congress for the solomon law and would help ensure that military recruiters continue to have access to college campuses and students that is at least equal in quality and scope as that provided to any other employer . 
this resolution would reaffirm the commitment of congress to explore all options , including the use of its constitutional power to appropriate funds to achieve that equal access . 
in adopting this resolution , we would also be urging the executive branch to aggressively challenge any decision impeding or prohibiting the operation of the solomon law . 
also , we would be encouraging the executive branch to follow a doctrine of nonacquiescence by not finding a judicial decision affecting one jurisdiction to be binding on any other jurisdiction . 
mr. speaker , as we debate this resolution , it is important for us to remember that the solomon law and its legislative updates were not designed as one-size-fits-all mandates from washington . 
in fact , the law is very flexible , and it fits the needs of nearly every public-funded institution in the country . 
for example , the solomon law does not apply to colleges or universities that have a long-standing policy of pacifism based on historical religious grounds , nor does it affect any federal student aid or financial assistance . 
of course , as those of us who are here debating this issue are aware , this is not the first challenge to this law . 
prior to the november circuit court decision , on repeated occasions lower courts have consistently upheld the constitutionality of the solomon law , arguing that it does not infringe on any institution 's right to free speech or association . 
while this recent court decision is unfortunate , it is not the end to the solomon law . 
a bipartisan vote here today in support of this legislation will help send a clear message to our courts that our military recruiters deserve equal access on all of our campuses . 
i thank the gentleman from california ( mr. hunter ) xz4001910 for his ongoing efforts on this issue , and i thank the gentleman from minnesota ( mr. kline ) xz4002240 for managing this legislation . 
