[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SUPPORT OF CONGRESS REGARDING ACCESS OF MILITARY RECRUITERS 
                  TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 14, 2006

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today the House will be voting on 
legislation to affirm the ability of military recruiters to access 
college campuses. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I 
support our military's efforts to recruit some of our most promising 
young men and women and believe that service in our nation's armed 
forces is an honorable career choice. However, I question why we are 
considering this measure, especially as the Supreme Court unanimously 
upheld Congress's position a short while ago. If Congress's authority 
has not been challenged, why are we reiterating it?
  As we have heard, a lawsuit arose when a group of colleges challenged 
the Congressional requirement that military recruiters be granted 
access to schools that receive federal funding. The schools argued that 
the U.S. military's policy of excluding gays and lesbians from serving 
openly violated their non-discrimination requirement for prospective 
employers on campus, and that the recruiters' presence would be 
interpreted as the schools' official endorsement of the military's 
position. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, noting that 
colleges and universities still maintained their right to express their 
opposition to the military's policies as they saw fit. The resolution 
of today reaffirms the very Congressional power that the Court just 
upheld.
  Unfortunately, Congress is debating the wrong issue. Instead of 
celebrating a minor legal victory, we should be discussing how to end 
the discriminatory ``Don't Ask/Don't Tell'' policy that inspired the 
opposition from the colleges and which threatens our military readiness 
to this day. Since the policy's enactment in 1993, Don't Ask/Don't Tell 
has resulted in the discharge of nearly 10,000 service members, many of 
whom had language proficiency or other skills essential to the Global 
War on Terror. Over the past ten years, Don't Ask/Don't Tell has cost 
the U.S. military hundreds of millions of dollars--funds that could 
have gone toward obtaining additional armored vehicles and investing in 
other vital force protection initiatives.
  Don't Ask/Don't Tell, originally conceived as a compromise, has 
outlived its utility and now actually harms our military readiness and 
its ability to perform certain essential functions. Qualified and 
dedicated servicemembers should not be discharged based on their sexual 
orientation, especially at a time when our National Guard and Reserves 
are serving repeated deployments. For these reasons, I am an original 
cosponsor of H.R. 1059, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which 
would replace Don't Ask/Don't Tell with a policy that would not allow 
discrimination or discharges based on sexual orientation.
  Those who oppose repeal of Don't Ask/Don't Tell conveniently ignore 
that gay men and women already serve in the military--many with great 
distinction--despite the fact that they must hide their identities from 
those whose lives they have sworn to defend. They also ignore the fact 
that some of our closest allies in the Global War on Terrorism permit 
open service by gay men and women, and our forces regularly serve 
alongside theirs without incident. They also ignore numerous polls 
indicating that a strong majority of Americans support repeal. Our 
military's purpose is to protect the United States, and it must recruit 
the most qualified people in order to succeed. Repeal of Don't Ask/
Don't Tell is consistent with that goal.

  I will support H. Con. Res. 354 today because I believe we should be 
encouraging our nation's finest young men and women--no matter who they 
are or where they go to school--to join the strongest, smartest and 
most capable military in the world. However, such an effort is 
incomplete without also repealing Don't Ask/Don't Tell. I encourage all 
of my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 1059 to ensure that all who are 
willing and able to serve may do so.

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