House Passes Frank Buckles Wwi Memorial Act

Wednesday, the House unanimously passed H.R. 6364, the bipartisan Frank Buckles WWI Memorial Act. The bill was introduced by Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) along with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

This legislation (1) establishes a commission to commemorate the centennial of World War I; (2) re-designates the Liberty Memorial of Kansas City as the “National World War I Museum and Memorial;” and (3) establishes a new, stand-alone World War I Memorial on the National Mall.

The worst casualty of war is not to be forgotten. Wednesday, the House let the world know that we will never forget the heroes of World War I. More soldiers died during World War I than in Korea, Vietnam, both Iraq Wars and Afghanistan combined. It is only fitting that they are honored in our nation’s capitol before the centennial of the Great War.

Corporate Frank Buckles was the last living World War I veteran. It was his wish to see a National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. We salute Corporal Buckles and the rest of the Doughboys who fought over there. I hope the Senate and the President will do the same.

“Ted Poe’s noble cause to establish a memorial to World War I veterans is closer to reality with the passage of our bipartisan bill today,” said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). “I am grateful to Ted for the collegial and bipartisan way we worked together to reach a resolution that satisfied us all.”

"We have been to this spot before, and we have even had the House vote on and approve similar legislation once before,” said Congressman Cleaver(D-MO). “So it is not time to prematurely proclaim victory. But this is a promising sign of progress, and I will continue to work to see that the Kansas City region gets what it so richly deserves in the designation of Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial.”