Rob Bishop bill would block Eisenhower Memorial funding

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Washington • Utah Rep. Rob Bishop has introduced legislation to scrap the design for a memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington, citing objections from the general's family and the project's cost.

Bishop, a Republican, introduced the bill Wednesday. He's proposing a new design competition and seeks to eliminate $100 million in future funding for the current design by architect Frank Gehry.

Eisenhower's family has called Gehry's design "too extravagant." Gehry proposed a memorial park with statues of the president and World War II hero, framed by large metal tapestries depicting Ike's boyhood home in Kansas.

The legislation would authorize using the site for the memorial for another three years.

Eisenhower Memorial Commission chairman Rocco Siciliano says in a statement that he's "saddened" by the bill and calls it an insult to Eisenhower's legacy.