Taiwan Pledges $1M To Eisenhower Memorial

Taiwan is pledging $1 million to help build a memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Washington as the memorial project begins a fundraising campaign to complete the monument.

The gift being announced Tuesday marks a critical phase for the Eisenhower Memorial. Organizers must determine whether they can raise the money needed to build the monument. They hope to raise at least $20 million privately and build support in Congress for additional funding.

The project has been in the planning stages for 15 years. Last week, the memorial won final approval for its design, despite criticism from Eisenhower family members.

Congress already appropriated $60 million for design and planning. President Obama’s 2016 budget proposal included $68 million more for construction. But lawmakers in Congress have not yet approved