mr. speaker , first i thank the gentleman from north carolina ( mr. butterfield ) xz4006160 for yielding me this time to speak , time to speak in opposition to h. con . 
res. 36 . 
mr. speaker , last november a federal court said the federal government can not take away a university 's funding simply because the school refuses to exempt the u.s. military from its policy , meaning the university 's policy , and that on-campus recruiters not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation . 
today we are debating a resolution in support of the solomon amendment . 
if this house of representatives votes to support that resolution , we will be putting the congress on record as supporting absolute senseless discrimination . 
the resolution says it is about equal access for military recruiters at institutions of higher education . 
but , in reality , it is about allowing the military to avoid the consequences of discrimination , the same consequences that any other employer would have to face if it discriminated . 
many say , and you heard it today , that our national security requires the military to engage in this discrimination , but the facts just do not support it . 
the court said that the government failed to produce , and i quote , `` a shred of evidence '' that the solomon amendment helps military recruiting , and even suggested that the hostility that the amendment causes may hurt recruiting . 
it was reported in last month that since 1998 , the military has discharged 20 fluent arabic speakers and six fluent farsi speakers under its `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . 
these are students that the military claims to be desperate to recruit . 
no , mr. speaker , this resolution is not about military recruiting or national security . 
plain and simple , it is about punishing universities for exercising their first amendment right to oppose discrimination against gays and lesbians ; and i encourage my colleagues , stand up for the constitution , oppose this resolution . 
