New Bill Would Block Eisenhower Memorial Funding
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Utah congressman has introduced legislation to scrap the design for a memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington, citing objections from Ike's family and the project's cost.
Republican Rep. Rob Bishop introduced the bill Wednesday. He's proposing a new design competition and seeks to eliminate $100 million in future funding for the current design by architect Frank Gehry.
Eisenhower's family has called Gehry's design "too extravagant." Gehry proposed a memorial park with statues of the president and World War II hero, framed by large metal tapestries depicting Ike's boyhood home in Kansas.
Bishop says lawmakers need to reevaluate the project.
Eisenhower Memorial Commission chairman Rocco Siciliano says in a statement that he's "saddened" by the bill and calls it an insult to Eisenhower's legacy.
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