WASHINGTON, DC—The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Parks Subcommittee held a hearing today to discuss the possibility of adding additional memorials on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Senator Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) said. Thomas is the Chairman of the Parks Subcommittee for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee which oversees the National Mall. “This is more than just about weighing the merits of each project and program, it is about what the National Mall will look like for the benefit for our future generations,” Thomas said. “It is not that these concepts should not have a memorial, but we are trying to determine if they need to be located on the Mall. There are many quality locations for memorials around the Washington, DC area. These sites would help expand our tourism areas and help keep the National Mall from being overrun with an endless monumental memorial expansion.” Representatives from the Departments of the Interior and Defense and other witnesses provided testimony at today’s National Parks Subcommittee Hearing. The purpose of the hearing was to take testimony concerning the following four bills: S. 268, a bill to authorize the Pyramid of Remembrance Foundation to establish a memorial within the District of Columbia. The memorial would honor members of the Armed Forces of the United States who have lost their lives during peacekeeping operations, humanitarian efforts, training, terrorist attacks, or covert operations; S. 296, a bill to require the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress regarding the requirements applicable to the inscription of veterans’ names on the memorial wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; S. 470, a bill to extend the authority for the construction of a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr.; S. 1076, a bill to authorize construction of an education center at or near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The bills now move to the full Senate Energy committee for consideration. -30-