FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2006

CONTACT:  John Bray
(202) 225-6131

WASHINGTON – Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Atwater) today expressed his strong support for legislation that will expedite the approval process for a planned visitor center for the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial on the National Mall.  The bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives tonight by a vote of 404-4, will end two and a half years of bureaucratic delays by designating a location for the visitors’ center on Washington’s National Mall.
 
In 2003, the 108th Congress authorized the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund to design and construct the visitor center. However, since the authorization became law, the site selection and approval process has taken much longer than anticipated.

“This bill will end the unacceptable delays that have hampered the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Visitors Center,” said Cardoza.  “This facility will help inform millions of visitors about the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in Vietnam.”

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center will be located on the National Mall, adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in the area between Henry Bacon Drive, 23rd Street, Constitution Avenue and the Lincoln Memorial. The bill ensures final approval of the visitor’s center will occur 30 days following the bill’s enactment.