U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, stood Wednesday with a bipartisan, bicameral congressional group that will push for establishment of an American Latino Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Speaking to Texas reporters by way of a conference call from Washington, Cornyn suggested that given the history of Texas and its proximity to Mexico and other

Latino countries, it is important to him, as it should be to all Texans, that Latino history is represented in a museum.

He said that former President George W. Bush of Texas created a commission in 2008 to study the issue when he was president.

“We learn today that many lessons of our shared history are not learned or remembered,” he said during the conference call. Establishment of a Latino Smithsonian would be more than a monument; it would present learning opportunities for visitors and patrons.

Other sponsors involved in the effort to pass the National Museum of the American Latino Act included U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro, Sylvia Garcia and Will Hurd, all of Texas. Cornyn said the monument would join the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian museums on the mall.

Appearing at a news conference with his congressional colleagues, Cornyn said it was important for Americans to “learn and recall our shared history.”

He said about 40 percent of Texans identify as Hispanics, and that all Texans should acknowledge their “rich history and culture that’s woven into the fabric of the Lone Star State.”

Legislative efforts to establish the museum have continued since 2011. In the 2017-18 sessions, a bill set the cost of a facility at $600 million.