U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a news release Friday that the committee on Thursday approved $5 million he requested for the National Coast Guard Museum planned in downtown New London.

The money, which ultimately must be approved by the full Congress, can be used for the design, fabrication and installation of exhibits or displays in the museum. Murphy also secured $5 million in 2017 for initial appraising, cataloguing and organizing of artifacts in the museum. He worked in partnership with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, to eliminate a ban on federal funding for the museum.

"I've made it a mission on the Appropriations Committee to fight for federal money for the Coast Guard Museum in New London. I'm proud to get bipartisan support for this funding, which is a big step towards making the museum a reality," Murphy said in a statement.