Oklahoma City National Memorial And Museum To Receive Long Awaited Federal Dollars

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum is set to receive $1 million after Congress successfully overrides President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Federal funds for the museum were wrapped in the bill and were more than a decade overdue. 

The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum's executive director, Kari Watkins reacted to the bill's passage in a statement saying, "We are thrilled the bill has passed for many reasons, primarily because it funds our country’s necessary military needs. But one key component of the legislation is the payment of a 17-year-old debt to the Memorial."

Watkins went on to explain why the funding took so long to receive. 

"Congress promised in 2003 to match with federal dollars the non-federal dollars raised by the Memorial for a permanent endowment, which helps sustain the Memorial," she explains. "For over a decade now, the last $1 million was still not funded by Congress."

Watkins also thanked Senator Jim Inhofe and his staff for working to put the funding into the defense bill. She also thanked the entire Oklahoma delegation for supporting it. 

The million-dollar payment is a small part of the $740 billion bill.

President Trump initially vetoed it, sighting several reasons including a failure to repeal legal protections for social media companies.

The bill was enacted on Friday after a successful congressional override. 

Watkins concluded her statement on the payment saying, "This is a truly important achievement and a wonderful way to start 2021."