A bill referred to the House of Representatives Tuesday may strengthen an act that restricts funds from federal agencies to colleges that bar military recruiters from their campuses.
The Solomon Amendment, already a law, is supported by a bill that has not yet been passed but was approved by the Armed Services Committee last week.
Lawsuits disputing the constitutionality of the Defense Department’s interpretation of the Solomon Amendment have been filed by organizations at a dozen universities, including Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, was one of the representatives who introduced the bill and feels the bill is necessary.
“As we enter the spring recruiting season, the Department of Defense has asked Congress to clarify current law and put military recruiters on equal footing with any other civilian recruiter,” Rogers said. “Unfortunately, the [Department of Defense] has documented isolated incidents where colleges and universities, primarily in the Northeast, have blocked military recruiters from campus, including one case in which organized faculty and students heckled both recruiters and potential candidates. This simply must not continue.”
The bill would require colleges to treat military recruiters the same as other recruiters and provide for them “entry to campuses and access to students that is at least equal in quality and scope to that provided to any other employer.”
The bill also requires colleges to allow the Department of Defense to have a unit of the Senior Officer Training Corps on their campuses.
Universities who do not comply with the proposed law would lose their funding from several federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security and Justice. The loss of funding would affect the universities’ 2005 fiscal year.
Rogers said he feels this legislation is necessary because of the importance of the military.
“More than at any other time since World War II, our all-volunteer military needs highly qualified recruits to fill its ranks,” Rogers said. “This legislation helps clarify current law, and in doing so helps ensure military recruiters have equal access to our nation’s best and brightest, just like any other company recruiting on campus.”
Phone calls made to the University of Wisconsin’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps office were referred to the national ROTC public affairs office.
“The ROTC doesn’t usually comment on bills that have not yet been passed,” said Ann Easterling, Chief of Air University Public Affairs. “We don’t normally get too excited about a bill until it’s passed.”
Marshall Macomber, director of communications for Rogers, said the Congressman’s goal is to solidify the future of armed forces.
“Congressman Rogers hopes to ensure our military has access to the most highly qualified students, just like any other company recruiting on campus, and consequently help our Armed Forces achieve its missions in winning the War on Terror.”
According to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, some colleges have also disagreed with the military’s position on gays and lesbians in the armed forces and have acted by treating military recruiters differently. The military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy goes against the anti-discrimination policy of these schools.
