Mr. President, Yesterday I offered, along with my colleague Senator Webb, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that would require the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prepare a report on plans to replace the monument at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

            Our amendment seeks to clarify the plans of the Secretaries to replace the monument at the Tomb of the Unknown due to cosmetic cracks that have appeared over time in the facing of the monument.  It would require the Secretaries to provide Congress with a description of the current efforts to maintain and preserve the monument and an assessment of the feasibility and advisability of repairing rather then replacing it.  The Secretaries would also be required to report on their plans to replace the monument and, if replaced, how they intend to dispose of the current monument.  Our amendment would prevent the Secretaries from taking action to replace the monument until 180 days after the receipt of the report.

            The Army contends that the cracks in the monument diminish the aesthetic value of the monument and that the cracks justify the monument's replacement.  The Army's position is that the cracks in the monument cannot be fixed and that it will continue to deteriorate.  The Army  also contends that the surface of the monument has weathered to the point that, within the next fifteen years, the details of the carving are expected to be eroded to the extent that the experience of visiting the tomb will be adversely effected.  They justify its replacement by asserting that the Tomb of the Unknowns has significance beyond it historic origins and therefore should be maintained in as perfect of a state as possible.

            This position is not shared by many civic and preservation groups who believe the monument can and should be preserved and repaired.  This view is also shared by the preservation architects who completed the last formal study of repairs to the Tomb of the Unknowns in 1990.  Supporters of preserving the current monument view it as something that cannot be replicated.  They do not believe the experience of visitors will be diminished by the weathering and deterioration that come over time.  They believe it is a symbol that should be considered in the same vein as other imperfect symbols of our heritage such as the Liberty Bell and the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired our National Anthem.      

            Mr. President, it is important to note that the Capitol Building and the White House are other well-known and well-loved American icons that have developed cracks and other flaws in their building materials, but no one is suggesting that they be torn down and replaced with replicas.

            It is also important that, as we consider replacing the monument at the Tomb of the Unknowns, we acknowledge that it is the stated position of our government under Executive Order 13287, signed by President Bush on March 3, 2003, that the Federal Government will provide leadership in the preservation of America's heritage.        

            Our amendment does not preclude the Secretaries from replacing the monument at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the future, but seeks to ensure that we move with great caution before making any decisions that would irrevocably affect this national treasure.  I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment.  Thank you, Mr. President. 

            I ask unanimous consent that the text of the amendment appear in the Record.