U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

March 31, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar and Rep. Becerra Introduce Museum Commission Bill
BIPARTISAN ACTION BY SIX SENATORS ADD TO LEGISLATION'S GROWING 'MOMENTUM'

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar and a bipartisan group of Senators introduced S. 2475, legislation that would explore the viability of constructing a museum focused on Latino art, history and culture. That bill is a companion bill to Representative Xavier Becerra’s (CA-31) H.R. 2134.

"I am so very grateful to these six distinguished women and men for taking this necessary step to help make passage of this bill - and subsequent construction of the museum - a reality," Rep. Becerra said.

"Latinos have been a part of American history since before the birth of our nation," said Senator Salazar. "My own family helped found the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1598. And through every major war to protect and preserve America's freedoms, Latinos have served in our Nation's military in record numbers. This bill takes the first step in recognizing Latino art, culture and heritage through the establishment of a national museum dedicated to recognizing and documenting the diverse and substantial contributions of the Latino community. The end result will be a more enhanced experience for the 20 million visitors that come to our nation's capital to learn the full history of America."

When signed into law, the "Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of the American Latino Community Act" will set up a 23 member commission charged with: producing a national conference to bring stakeholders, experts, policymakers and other interested parties together to discuss the museum's viability; a fundraising plan to create an extensive public-private partnership; and a report to congress detailing a recommended plan of action on how to move forward with taking the museum from concept to reality. All this will occur within 18 months of the bill's passage.

H.R. 2134 is scheduled for a congressional hearing before the Subcommittee on National Parks in the House Committee on Resources today, a positive step in the direction of getting closer to a vote by the full House of Representatives.

"Momentum's growing," Rep. Becerra said. "Yesterday's bipartisan Senate introduction, today's congressional hearing and 106 - and growing - co-sponsors to the House bill are all signs that point positively to the museum's inevitability."

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