```

[House Report 113-705]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

113th Congress      }                                  {         Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session         }                                  {         113-705
======================================================================
 
          DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL COMMISSION REFORM ACT

                                _______
                                

 December 22, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Hastings of Washington, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                            DISSENTING VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 5203]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5203) to enhance the operation of the Dwight D. 
Eisenhower Memorial Commission, having considered the same, 
report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that 
the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial 
Commission Reform Act''.

SEC. 2. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL.

  (a) Amendments.--Section 8162 of Public Law 106-79 (40 U.S.C. 8903 
note) is amended as follows:
          (1) In subsection (c)--
                  (A) in paragraph (2) by striking ``Members of the 
                Senate'' and inserting ``persons''; and
                  (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Members of the 
                House of Representatives'' and inserting ``persons''.
          (2) By redesignating subsections (f), (g), (h), (i), (j), 
        (k), (l), (m), (n), (o), (p), and (q) as subsections (g), (h), 
        (i), (j), (k), (l), (m), (n), (o), (p), (q), and (r), 
        respectively.
          (3) By inserting after subsection (e) the following:
  ``(f) Appointments.--Each appointment of a Commission member shall be 
made in consultation with the Eisenhower Foundation, a section 
501(c)(3) public foundation located in Abilene, Kansas.''.
  (b) Termination of Commission Membership and Staff; Records.--
          (1) Termination of membership.--The term as a member of the 
        Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of each individual 
        serving as such a member on the date of the enactment of this 
        Act is hereby terminated.
          (2) Staff.--The employment as Executive Director and other 
        staff of the Commission of each individual so employed on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act is hereby terminated 
        effective on the date that is 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
          (3) Records.--Any records of the Commission in existence on 
        the date that the staff is no longer employed by the Commission 
        under paragraph (2) shall be retained by the General Services 
        Administration or the Secretary of the Interior until such time 
        as a new Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission is appointed 
        and staffed. The records of the former Commission shall be 
        transferred to the newly appointed Commission as soon as 
        possible.

                          Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of H.R. 5203 is to enhance the operation of the 
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    In 1999, Public Law 106-79 established the Eisenhower 
Memorial Commission to create and build ``an appropriate 
permanent memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower . . . to perpetuate 
his memory and his contributions to the United States.'' The 
Commission is composed of 12 members: four are selected from 
the Senate, four from the House of Representatives, and the 
President chooses four others.
    The Commission has worked since then to select a site for 
the memorial, choose an architect, approve a design, and see it 
built. In 2006, Congress approved as the memorial site the 
square located across Independence Avenue from the National Air 
and Space Museum, north of the Department of Education.
    The completion of the memorial has been put in jeopardy by 
a controversial design and extraordinary cost. H.R. 5203 moves 
the memorial forward by providing for a new commission to bring 
leadership to the bumbled process.
    President Eisenhower's place in history as an American icon 
is well understood, and a memorial in his honor will help 
ensure that future generations have the opportunity to 
appreciate his legacy. However, the memorial as currently 
conceived has been divisive and failed to meet the basic 
requirements of the Commemorative Works Act (CWA). 
Specifically, the CWA calls for memorials in Washington, D.C. 
to be ``constructed of durable material suitable to the outdoor 
environment'' in a ``permanent manner.'' The Committee on 
Natural Resources remains concerned that the most ``permanent'' 
aspect of the current design would be the maintenance, repair, 
and replacement cost of its experimental steel mesh screens, 
which the designer calls ``tapestries.'' It remains to be 
established how the mesh would endure the harsh District of 
Columbia climate, debris, and other environmental factors. 
Marble, granite, limestone, and bronze are materials that have 
been time-tested over millennia. They are not just durable; 
they have proven themselves to be permanent.
    The current design also fails to comply with the purpose of 
the CWA: to preserve the integrity of the L'Enfant and McMillan 
Plans for the Nation's Capital. The Committee notes that this 
is an unambiguous requirement of the CWA and that the current 
design violates the L'Enfant Plan by inserting enormous 80-
foot-by-10-foot columns in the 160-foot Maryland Avenue right-
of-way.
    In the course of Committee legislative and oversight 
hearings, it has been established that the competition that 
selected the current designer was not open to the general 
public. The procedure employed by the Commission, which 
contracted with the General Services Administration (GSA), was 
narrow, restrictive, and undemocratic. The GSA ``Design 
Excellence'' competition process that was used is designed to 
choose architects for complex federal buildings, but it is not 
at all suited for public memorials. While recent competitions 
for memorials in the National Mall area considered thousands of 
entries, the Eisenhower Commission relied on a shadowy 
portfolio evaluation process, which included only 44 entrants, 
and ultimately considered only four ``design visions.'' The 
selection suggests that the designer choice was less about an 
appropriate tribute to President Eisenhower and more about the 
reputation and fame of the designer.
    Furthermore, an investigation completed by the Natural 
Resources Committee revealed that standard procedure for the 
Design Excellence program was not followed. It was weighted in 
such a way that the application of the chosen architect 
received an advantage.
    A work of this magnitude deserves the participation, 
ingenuity, and creativity of the public. Such a narrow design 
competition serves only to intimidate the innovative thinking 
of designers and architects around the country and misses an 
opportunity to engage and excite Americans about the memorial.
    To invite the widest possible participation, the newly-
constituted Commission should conduct an open competition and 
selection process. There should be no entry fee, and the only 
requirements are that a designer is over 18 years of age and a 
U.S. citizen. The designer for the competition may be, but is 
not limited to, an architect, landscape architect, urban 
designer, artist, teacher, student, veteran, or a collaboration 
of any of these. To ensure that all entrants have an equal and 
fair chance, in the initial stage of the competition, entries 
should be submitted anonymously and evaluated blindly. Every 
American should have the opportunity to submit a proposal for 
the Eisenhower Memorial.
    The Committee recognizes that consensus around a work of 
this significance can be elusive, but the degree of discord in 
this instance is extraordinary. President Eisenhower's own 
descendants have astutely described problems of design and 
process with respect to the current proposal. Through Committee 
hearings, the united Eisenhower family encapsulated the views 
of the general public. John Eisenhower, President Eisenhower's 
son and former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, counseled that 
``taxpayers and donors alike will be better served with an 
Eisenhower Square that is a green open space with a simple 
statue in the middle.'' Although there is no legal requirement 
that the Eisenhowers support the design, the Committee urges 
the Commission to consider it a policy of common sense that the 
descendants ought to be proud of the memorial.
    The Committee directs the Commission to seek a design that 
is modest but beautiful and dignified. It should be self-
explanatory so that ordinary Americans will understand the 
ideas being conveyed without the need of a visitor center or 
guide. The Committee agrees, as stated in a hearing on the 
memorial, ``Monuments speak to us without signage. They are not 
ink blots that leave things to the interpretation of the 
visitor. Monuments are statements, not question marks.''
    H.R. 5203 will turn over the Commission membership and 
staff, allowing for the selection of a broad range of 
individuals to serve. Currently, two-thirds of the seats are 
held exclusively for Members of the House and Senate. 
Commissioners will be selected in consultation with Eisenhower 
Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Kansas dedicated to the 
legacy of President Eisenhower. Henceforth, appointments will 
be made with additional input from the experts on Eisenhower. 
Current commissioners may be reappointed to the panel.
    The Committee anticipates that the next Eisenhower 
Commission will expand its focus on raising private dollars. 
While federal appropriations have supplemented recent 
memorials, funding has been largely private. Documents supplied 
to the Committee demonstrate that private fundraising efforts 
of the Commission have been unsuccessful to the tune of 
negative $1 million. While the authorizing legislation did not 
require private dollars, the ability or inability to raise 
private funds has a natural effect of regulating the cost of a 
project. The price tag of the current proposal is over $142 
million. The Committee determined through its hearings that 
appropriate memorials can be built for significantly less 
money, and avoid the divisive criticism accompanying an 
ostentatious design. In fact, the existing, unspent 
appropriations should be adequate to correct course and launch 
a private fundraising effort to complete the memorial.

                            Committee Action

    H.R. 5203 was introduced on July 25, 2014, by Congressman 
Rob Bishop (R-UT) and was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources. On July 30, 2014, the Natural Resources Committee 
met to consider the bill. Congressman Bishop offered an 
amendment designated #1 to the bill; the amendment was adopted 
by unanimous consent. No further amendments were offered, and 
the bill, as amended, was adopted and ordered favorably 
reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent.

            Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of 
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

                    Compliance With House Rule XIII

    1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and 
a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be 
incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) 
of that rule provides that this requirement does not apply when 
the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted 
cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the 
Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 3(c)(3) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 
received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

H.R. 5203--Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission Reform Act

    H.R. 5203 would terminate the appointments of the current 
members of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission and 
terminate the employment of the Executive Director and staff of 
the Commission. The President, the Speaker of the House, and 
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate would appoint new 
members of the Commission. CBO estimates that implementing the 
bill would have no significant effect on the federal budget. 
Enacting H.R. 5203 would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 5203 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    On July 11, 2013, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 
1126, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Completion Act, as 
ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on 
June 12, 2013. H.R. 5203 is similar to provisions in H.R. 1126 
regarding the commission's membership and staff. However, H.R. 
1126 also would direct the commission to select an alternative 
design. The CBO cost estimates reflect that difference.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von 
Gnechten. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
    2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required 
by clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, this bill does not contain any new budget 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures. CBO estimates that implementing 
the bill would have no significant effect on the federal 
budget.
    3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or 
objective of this bill is to enhance the operation of the 
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

                           Earmark Statement

    This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, 
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives.

                    Compliance With Public Law 104-4

    This bill contains no unfunded mandates.

                       Compliance With H. Res. 5

    Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that 
this bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any 
specific rule-making proceedings.
    Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not 
establish or reauthorize a program of the federal government 
known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was 
not included in any report from the Government Accountability 
Office to Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 
or identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program 
Information Act (Public Law 95-220, as amended by Public Law 
98-169) as relating to other programs.

                Preemption of State, Local or Tribal Law

    This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or 
tribal law.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change 
is proposed is shown in roman):

                   SECTION 8162 OF PUBLIC LAW 106-79

  Sec. 8162. Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. (a) Findings.--
Congress finds that--
          (1) the people of the United States feel a deep debt 
        of gratitude to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as 
        Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe in 
        World War II and subsequently as 34th President of the 
        United States; and
          (2) an appropriate permanent memorial to Dwight D. 
        Eisenhower should be created to perpetuate his memory 
        and his contributions to the United States.
  (b) Commission.--There is established a commission to be 
known as the ``Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission'' 
(referred to in this section as the ``Commission'').
  (c) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of--
          (1) four persons appointed by the President, not more 
        than two of whom may be members of the same political 
        party;
          (2) four [Members of the Senate] persons appointed by 
        the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in consultation 
        with the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the 
        Senate, of which not more than two appointees may be 
        members of the same political party; and
          (3) four [Members of the House of Representatives] 
        persons appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives in consultation with the Majority 
        Leader and Minority Leader of the House of 
        Representatives, of which not more than two appointees 
        may be members of the same political party.
  (d) Chair and Vice Chair.--The members of the Commission 
shall select a Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission. The 
Chair and Vice Chair shall not be members of the same political 
party.
  (e) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect its powers if a quorum is present, but shall be filled 
in the same manner as the original appointment.
  (f) Appointments.--Each appointment of a Commission member 
shall be made in consultation with the Eisenhower Foundation, a 
section 501(c)(3) public foundation located in Abilene, Kansas.
  [(f)] (g) Meetings.--
          (1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 45 days after 
        the date on which a majority of the members of the 
        Commission have been appointed, the Commission shall 
        hold its first meeting.
          (2) Subsequent meetings.--The Commission shall meet 
        at the call of the Chair.
  [(g)] (h) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the 
Commission shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number of 
members may hold hearings.
  [(h)] (i) No Compensation.--A member of the Commission shall 
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for expenses 
incurred in carrying out the duties of the Commission.
  [(i)] (j) Duties.--The Commission shall consider and 
formulate plans for such a permanent memorial to Dwight D. 
Eisenhower, including its nature, design, construction, and 
location.
  [(j)] (k) Powers of the Commission.--
          (1) In general.--
                  (A) Powers.--The Commission may--
                          (i) make such expenditures for 
                        services and materials for the purpose 
                        of carrying out this section as the 
                        Commission considers advisable from 
                        funds appropriated or received as gifts 
                        for that purpose;
                          (ii) solicit and accept contributions 
                        to be used in carrying out this section 
                        or to be used in connection with the 
                        construction or other expenses of the 
                        memorial;
                          (iii) hold hearings and enter into 
                        contracts;
                          (iv) enter into contracts for 
                        specialized or professional services as 
                        necessary to carry out this section; 
                        and
                          (v) take such actions as are 
                        necessary to carry out this section.
                  (B) Specialized or professional services.--
                Services under subparagraph (A)(iv) may be--
                          (i) obtained without regard to the 
                        provisions of title 5, United States 
                        Code, including section 3109 of that 
                        title; and
                          (ii) may be paid without regard to 
                        the provisions of title 5, United 
                        States Code, including chapter 51 and 
                        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that 
                        title.
          (2) Gifts of property.--The Commission may accept 
        gifts of real or personal property to be used in 
        carrying out this section, including to be used in 
        connection with the construction or other expenses of 
        the memorial.
          (3) Federal cooperation.--At the request of the 
        Commission, a Federal department or agency may provide 
        any information or other assistance to the Commission 
        that the head of the Federal department or agency 
        determines to be appropriate.
          (4) Powers of members and agents.--
                  (A) In general.--If authorized by the 
                Commission, any member or agent of the 
                Commission may take any action that the 
                Commission is authorized to take under this 
                section.
                  (B) Architect.--The Commission may appoint an 
                architect as an agent of the Commission to--
                          (i) represent the Commission on 
                        various governmental source selection 
                        and planning boards on the selection of 
                        the firms that will design and 
                        construct the memorial; and
                          (ii) perform other duties as 
                        designated by the Chairperson of the 
                        Commission.
                  (C) Treatment.--An authorized member or agent 
                of the Commission (including an individual 
                appointed under subparagraph (B)) providing 
                services to the Commission shall be considered 
                an employee of the Federal Government in the 
                performance of those services for the purposes 
                of chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, 
                relating to tort claims.
          (5) Travel.--Each member of the Commission shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of 
        agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
        United States Code, while away from their homes or 
        regular places of business in the performance of 
        services for the Commission.
  [(k)] (l) Reports.--The Commission shall--
          (1) report the plans under subsection (i), together 
        with recommendations, to the President and the Congress 
        at the earliest practicable date; and
          (2) in the interim, make annual reports on its 
        progress to the President and the Congress.
  [(l)] (m) Applicability of Other Laws.--The Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
Commission.
  [(m)] (n) Authority to Establish Memorial.--
          (1) In general.--The Commission may establish a 
        permanent memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower on land 
        under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior 
        in the District of Columbia or its environs.
          (2) Compliance with standards for commemorative 
        works.--The establishment of the memorial shall be in 
        accordance with the Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 
        1001 et seq.).
          (3) Expiration.--Any reference in section 8903(e) of 
        title 40, U.S.C. to the expiration at the end of, or 
        extension beyond, a 7-year period shall be considered 
        to be a reference to an expiration on, or extension 
        beyond, September 30, 2014.
  [(n)] (o) Memorial Fund.--
          (1) Establishment.--There is created in the Treasury 
        a fund for the memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower that 
        includes amounts contributed under subsection (j)(2).
          (2) Use of fund.--The fund shall be used for the 
        expenses of establishing the memorial.
          (3) Interest.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        credit to the fund the interest on obligations held in 
        the fund.
  [(o)] (p) Staff and Support Services.--
          (1) In general.--
                  (A) Powers.--The Commission may--
                          (i) make such expenditures for 
                        services and materials for the purpose 
                        of carrying out this section as the 
                        Commission considers advisable from 
                        funds appropriated or received as gifts 
                        for that purpose;
                          (ii) solicit and accept contributions 
                        to be used in carrying out this section 
                        or to be used in connection with the 
                        construction or other expenses of the 
                        memorial;
                          (iii) hold hearings and enter into 
                        contracts;
                          (iv) enter into contracts for 
                        specialized or professional services as 
                        necessary to carry out this section; 
                        and
                          (v) take such actions as are 
                        necessary to carry out this section.
                  (B) Specialized or professional services.--
                Services under subparagraph (A)(iv) may be--
                          (i) obtained without regard to the 
                        provisions of title 5, United States 
                        Code, including section 3109 of that 
                        title; and
                          (ii) may be paid without regard to 
                        the provisions of title 5, United 
                        States Code, including chapter 51 and 
                        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that 
                        title.
          (2) Gifts of property.--The Commission may accept 
        gifts of real or personal property to be used in 
        carrying out this section, including to be used in 
        connection with the construction or other expenses of 
        the memorial.
          (3) Federal cooperation.--At the request of the 
        Commission, a Federal department or agency may provide 
        any information or other assistance to the Commission 
        that the head of the Federal department or agency 
        determines to be appropriate.
          (4) Powers of members and agents.--
                  (A) In general.--If authorized by the 
                Commission, any member or agent of the 
                Commission may take any action that the 
                Commission is authorized to take under this 
                section.
                  (B) Architect.--The Commission may appoint an 
                architect as an agent of the Commission to--
                          (i) represent the Commission on 
                        various governmental source selection 
                        and planning boards on the selection of 
                        the firms that will design and 
                        construct the memorial; and
                          (ii) perform other duties as 
                        designated by the Chairperson of the 
                        Commission.
                  (C) Treatment.--An authorized member or agent 
                of the Commission (including an individual 
                appointed under subparagraph (B)) providing 
                services to the Commission shall be considered 
                an employee of the Federal Government in the 
                performance of those services for the purposes 
                of chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, 
                relating to tort claims.
          (5) Travel.--Each member of the Commission shall be 
        allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
        subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of 
        agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
        United States Code, while away from their homes or 
        regular places of business in the performance of 
        services for the Commission.
  [(p)] (q) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to carry 
out this section.
  [(q)] (r) Appropriation of Funds.--In addition to amounts 
provided elsewhere in this Act, there is appropriated to the 
Commission $300,000, to remain available until expended.

                            DISSENTING VIEWS

          H.R. 5203--DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER MEMORIAL COMMISSION 
                               REFORM ACT

    H.R. 5203 terminates the current membership of the Dwight 
D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission. New members will be selected 
under the terms of the Commemorative Works Act. In addition, 
the bill terminates the tenure of the commission's staff and 
Executive Director.
    In 1999, Congress authorized the Dwight D. Eisenhower 
Memorial and tasked the Eisenhower Memorial Commission with 
selecting a design and site for the permanent memorial. Since 
its selection in 2009, the design by architect Frank Gehry, 
which was chosen using guidelines outlined by the General 
Services Administration's Design Excellence Program, has been 
contentious, primarily due to concerns about its viability and 
vision expressed by certain members of the Eisenhower family.
    The Committee held an oversight hearing on the status of 
the design and its selection process in the 112th Congress. 
This was followed up by a legislative hearing on H.R. 1126 
(``Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Completion Act''), which, in 
addition to removing the members of the commission and its 
staff, requires the establishment of a new competition to 
select a new design. The Congressional Budget Office determined 
that H.R. 1126 would cost $17 million over a four year period, 
primarily due to the costs of a new competition.
    The sponsors of H.R. 1126 and this bill seem intent on 
forcing the selection of a new design for the memorial. 
However, since the Natural Resources Committee never held a 
hearing on H.R. 5203, its intent is unclear. A new commission 
with a new Executive Director and staff could further delay 
completion of the project and will not necessarily result in 
the selection of a new design. If it does turn out that a new 
commission conducts a new design competition, the projected 
cost of $17 million stays the same and enactment of this bill 
costs money even though it doesn't show up in the CBO score.
    Congress passed the Commemorative Works Act to ensure that 
memorials are designed in an independent, professional process 
that is outside the influence of politics. H.R. 5203 violates 
that spirit.

                                   Peter DeFazio,
                                           Ranking Member, Committee on 
                                               Natural Resources.
                                   Rauul Grijalva,
                                           Ranking Member Subcommittee 
                                               on Public Lands and 
                                               Environmental 
                                               Regulation.
```