The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case today revolving around whether universities that accept federal money also have to open their doors to military recruiters. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he voted for the legislation that’s being contested and he predicts it will be upheld. Grassley says “I don’t know of a single instance in which the federal government has not put some restrictions on the expenditure of federal money, or in the use of federal money, that has not been upheld, in other words, courts saying it is federal dollars and anybody that wants to use those federal dollars would have to meet the condition that Congress puts on spending the federal money.”

Grassley says the universities have to agree to certain criteria in accepting the federal dollars and the details are all clearly laid out ahead of time. Grassley says “The federal government’s going to offer money to organizations, including in this case universities, that if they want the money, they have to meet the restrictions but…if they don’t want to meet the restrictions, they don’t have to take the money.”

The case before the high court could have implications beyond military recruitment, as a ruling in the government’s favor might allow other strings to be attached to federal aid. Grassley says he’d be very surprised if the court didn’t rule in the government’s favor as the case is clear.

Grassley says “All the federal government is saying, if you want to take money for higher education, you have to give access to government recruiters on the same basis that you give access to the campus of anybody else that’s recruiting graduates for employment. It seems very even-handed and fair.” Reports say federal aid to colleges exceeds 35-billion dollars a year.