WASHINGTON — The effort in Washington to build a new museum on the National Mall commemorating women’s achievements is running into one big obstacle: men.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) spearheaded the creation of a women’s history museum, which passed the House, 383-33, in May.

The legislation was slated to be fast-tracked in the Senate, but GOP Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) and Tom Coburn (Okla.) took the museum off the expedited calendar — putting the project at risk of having to restart in the House next year.

Maloney called their resistance “outrageous,” since they are blocking a vote on a privately funded project, and
noted that just 13 of the 210 statues in the Capitol are of women.

Lee and Coburn say they put a hold on the legislation because taxpayers could be stuck with the bill down the road and women are already honored in current museums.