Congress Vows to Continue Supporting Solomon Amendment

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the Solomon amendment, a decade-old law in which Congress tied money from a range of federal programs to a college’s willingness to grant military recruiters equal access to its campus (The Chronicle, March 6). The ruling was a crushing defeat for the law schools that had sued to overturn the law, and it was a smashing victory for the Pentagon, for advocates of a strong military in time of war, and for Congress, which had repeatedly strengthened the law over the past 10 years (The Chronicle, March 17).

This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives approved Concurrent Resolution 354, which states that the members of that chamber still support the Solomon amendment. The vote was an overwhelming 347 to 65, with two voting “present” and 18 not voting. No arm-twisting needed there.

Shortly thereafter, the new House majority leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, formerly chairman of the education committee, issued a statement hailing the key vote.

“Today’s action,” he said, “once again demonstrates that House Republicans are committed to our men and women in uniform, and we will continue to provide them with the support and resources they need. Giving military recruiters access to our nation’s best and brightest students is critical to defending our freedom and protecting our homeland. If colleges and universities welcome federal dollars, they also should welcome armed-forces professionals who recruit the men and women who defend us.”