The National Mall is already a playground for curious Washingtonians, with over a dozen museums offering in-depth looks at everything from natural science, to fine art, to American history. But now, momentum is heating up on Capitol Hill to add a new facade for learning on the National Mall.

There has been talk of establishing a National Women’s History Museum in Washington for nearly two decades, but according to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s office, this will be the year that Congress actually holds a vote, and hopefully passes legislation to move forward on building plans for the museum.

The bill’s lead sponsor, Representative Carolyn Maloney has been working on the proposal for a museum dedicated to women’s history since 1998. “This is a huge boost to our efforts,” Maloney said of the bill’s movement. “Leadership from both parties in the House has now come out in favor of this bill, and I’m hopeful we can secure a large, bipartisan vote in favor of its passage.”

Next Tuesday, the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation will look over the bill before it goes to the floor for a vote. If passed, the legislation would then establish an eight-member panel of leaders from both sides of the aisle in the House and the Senate to spend a year coming up with recommendations on how to build a new property on the National Mall.

The panel would also be charged with fundraising, as the museum would be established using entirely private funds. The bill’s sponsors estimate a cost of a proposal could be anywhere from $1 million to $3 million, not to mention the building costs associated with such a grand scale structure. Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep has already donated $1 million for the project.

Due to the fact that this project does not use federal funds, and of course the fact that it honors women, a key demographic in an election year, means that the legislation to establish a National Women’s History Museum has broad bipartisan support. Representative Marsha Blackburn, the GOP co-sponsor for the proposal mentioned in a statement that there would still likely be some push-back from individuals who did not see the point of establishing a museum dedicated to women.

“You’re always going to hear some say, ‘Well, if we have that, why don’t we have a men’s history museum?’” Blackburn said. “But I think what we have to do is realize that what has been highly recognized in the country is the contribution of men. And in part, as they were the elected leaders … that is appropriate, But also, there are women who worked alongside them and women who have led great movements in this country, and that should be recognized.”

Image via Q13 Fox