By Atomic Heritage Foundation
On May 22, the House of Representatives approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015, which includes a bipartisan provision to establish a Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The new park will have units at Los Alamos, N.M., Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Hanford, Wash.
U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, has led efforts in the House and said: “This is a positive step toward establishing the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. There is strong, bipartisan support for this measure, and it enjoys broad support from local communities and national advocates for historic preservation and parks. The goal is to enact this into law before the end of this year and today’s action demonstrates real progress towards achieving it.”
We are grateful to Rep. Hastings and his colleagues Ben Ray Lujan, a New Mexico Democrat, and Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican, for moving the legislation through the House.
Now it is up to the Senate to approve the NDAA. Last year, the House approved the NDAA with an amendment for the park, but the Senate version did not include it.
We are hopeful that this year the Senate version will include the provision to establish the park. While the Senate could vote on the NDAA in August, it is more likely to consider it after the November elections. Stay tuned!
The Atomic Heritage Foundation was founded by Cynthia Kelly in 2002. It is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., and it is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Manhattan Project and the Atomic Age and its legacy.
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