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IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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House passes Senate-amended bill ending delays and ordering start to construction on Mall WASHINGTON, D.C. - "All we need now is a presidential signature and we can get started on an overdue tribute to the 'greatest generation' and their sacrifices to keep the world free," said House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith (NJ-4) Tuesday after the House approved its Senate-amended measure to expedite construction of the World War II Memorial on the Mall after years of delay. H.R. 1696, authored by World War II veteran and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Bob Stump (AZ-3), passed the House May 15 and underwent several technical changes in the Senate Monday before going back to the House. President Bush is expected to sign the measure into law. "It's been nearly 56 years since VJ Day and eight years since the House first authorized this memorial," Smith said. "Since then more than three million World War II veterans have died and 1,100 more are dying every day. It's time to put an end to the dilatory tactics, crank up the backhoes, pick up the shovels, and break ground." Smith called the Allied victory in World War II a "triumph of the human spirit and the greatest undertaking in human history. We cannot let future generations forget the cost in blood and treasure the World War II generation paid to keep the world free." In the initial May 15 House debate, Smith and Stump recited the lengthy process the project site and design have undergone, including 22 public hearings and endorsements by the Historic Preservation Officer and Historic Preservation Review Board of the District of Columbia and five expressions of approval by the Commission of Fine Arts and National Capital Planning Commission. Those decisions will not be subject to further judicial review, according to the provisions of the Senate's amendment. |
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