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IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - "More than three million World War II veterans have died since Congress approved a national memorial to them in 1993, yet work has not begun," said House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-4) during today's debate on H.R. 1696, legislation to expedite construction of the already-approved World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC. "We've had enough discussion, objections, and dilatory tactics. It's time to break ground on this memorial," said Smith. The House later voted to approve H.R. 1696, which was sponsored by Armed Services Committee Chairman Bob Stump (AZ-3) and cosponsored by Veterans' Committee Chairman Smith and Ranking Democrat Member Lane Evans (IL-17). The legislation now moves to the Senate for their approval. "The design and site for the memorial have been carefully studied, considered and approved over a period of more than six years, a longer time than it took to win World War II," said Chairman Smith. "The Allied victory in this greatest war in world history represented a triumph of the human spirit and began the march of freedom and democracy across the world that continues even today," he said. "America must never forget the cost of victory, nor the men and women who paid for this victory with their lives," Smith said. "The World War II Memorial is a tribute to their service, as well as a permanent reminder for all of us, as well as future generations to come, about the eternal value of freedom and the price that was paid to secure it," he said. "H.R. 1696 will be the sixth bipartisan piece of legislation Congress has sent to the White House for approval attempting to move the process along," said Congressman Bob Stump, prime sponsor of the bill. "Over the past six years, 22 public hearings have been held on the site and design of the memorial, which has received the endorsement of the Historic Preservation Officer of the District of Columbia and four endorsements from the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board," he said. "In addition, the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission have each rendered approval for the memorial five times. The site was approved by both the Secretary of Interior and the President. And still construction has not begun," Stump said. "More than 50 years after the end of World War II there still does not exist in our Nation's capital a fitting memorial to the service and sacrifice of the millions of Americans who preserved democracy and defeated totalitarianism during World War II. The time to construct this memorial is now", Evans said. Noting that the National World War II Memorial will be located between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, Evans said some critics of the memorial argue the memorial would "clutter up an already crowded site. A prominent memorial to those whose service and sacrifice this memorial will honor is not 'clutter'," he declared. |
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