Political Quotes

“8 years ago this month, the original authorization for a memorial on the Mall honoring the World War II veterans was signed into law, and still construction has not yet begun. 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. Over the past 6 years, 22 public hearings have been held on the site and design of the memorial in compliance with the Commemorative Works Act. The memorial site and design have received the endorsements of the Historic Preservation Officer of the District of Columbia and four endorsements from the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board. The Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capitol Planning Commission has each rendered approval for the memorial five times. This site was approved by both the Secretary of the Interior and the President. And still construction has not begun. Two other very important things have also been happening since Congress first authorized this memorial. Through the leadership and hard work of former Senator Bob Dole and Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks, the memorial fund has now raised over $170 million. There are no taxpayer funds involved in this memorial.”