Current:Home > InvestFederal money eyed for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota-LoTradeCoin
Federal money eyed for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota
View Date:2024-12-23 19:29:13
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Supporters of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota are cheering new federal legislation to help build the library and to showcase artifacts of the 26th president, who as a young man hunted and ranched in the state during its territorial days.
Last week, North Dakota’s three-member, all-Republican congressional delegation announced the bill to “authorize funding for the Library’s continued construction and go towards ensuring the preservation of President Roosevelt’s history and legacy.” The bill’s Interior Department grant is for $50 million of one-time money, most of which “will go into creating the museum spaces in our facility,” said Matt Briney, the library’s chief communications officer.
The bill also enables and directs federal agencies to work with the library’s organizers to feature Roosevelt items in the library’s museum, he said.
In 2019, North Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved a $50 million operations endowment for the library, available after its organizers raised $100 million in private donations for construction. That goal was met in late 2020.
The project has raised $240 million in private donations, and complete construction costs $333 million, Briney said. Covering the library’s construction costs has not been an issue, he said.
Construction is underway near Medora, in the rugged, colorful Badlands where the young future president briefly roamed in the 1880s. Organizers are planning for a grand opening of the library on July 4, 2026, the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence.
In a statement, the congressional delegation hailed the bill as “a wise investment in our nation’s historical preservation.” In the same press release, the bill drew praise from descendant Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt V and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who championed the library to the 2019 Legislature.
The bill would require a two-thirds match from state funds or non-federal sources, and it would prohibit the federal money from going toward the library’s maintenance or operations.
Planned exhibits include a chronological view of Roosevelt’s life, such as galleries of his early life, time in the Badlands, travels to the Amazon and his presidency, Briney said.
The 2023 Legislature approved a $70 million line of credit for the library through the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, which Briney said library planners have not tapped.
That line of credit drew scrutiny last year from Republican state Rep. Jim Kasper, who called it a “$70 million slush fund” that could leave taxpayers on the hook. Library CEO Ed O’Keefe has said the line of credit was intended as backstop to help ensure construction could begin.
In an interview, Kasper called the library, which he supported, “a beautiful thing for the state of North Dakota ... but I want private funds raised to pay for it.”
“If there’s going to be taxpayers’ dollars that are used, then I’d rather have federal dollars used than taxpayers of North Dakota dollars,” Kasper said. “Obviously there’s still taxpayer dollars. But I really don’t support any taxpayer dollars being used for the project, whether they’re state or federal.”
Other presidential libraries have been built with private donations or non-federal money. Some have received funds for construction and development from state and local governments and universities, then have been transferred to the federal government and run by the National Archives and Records Administration through that agency’s budget, according to the National Archives’ website.
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will always be privately held, said Briney, who called the legislation’s money “not necessarily uncommon.”
veryGood! (28)
Related
- Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
- October Prime Day’s Best Bedding Deals 2024: Save Over 60% off Sheets, Pillows & More Fall Essentials
- Riley Keough felt a duty to finish Lisa Marie Presley’s book on Elvis, grief, addiction and love
- Time to evacuate is running out as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida
- Spirit Airlines cancels release of Q3 financial results as debt restructuring talks heat up
- Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is likely out for season after successful knee surgery
- Shirtless Chad Michael Murray Delivers Early Holiday Present With The Merry Gentlemen Teaser
- Why a small shift in Milton's path could mean catastrophe for Tampa
- Black and Latino families displaced from Palm Springs neighborhood reach $27M tentative settlement
- Fact-Checking the Viral Conspiracies in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
Ranking
- Mike Tyson is expected to honor late daughter during Jake Paul fight. Here's how.
- I worked out with Jake Gyllenhaal, Matt Damon’s trainer. The results shocked me.
- Garth Brooks claims he's a victim of a 'shakedown,' names himself and rape accuser
- Travis Kelce Shares How He Handles Pressure in the Spotlight
- Chicago Bears will ruin Caleb Williams if they're not careful | Opinion
- How Waffle House helps Southerners — and FEMA — judge a storm’s severity
- Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Attorney Slams Piers Morgan Over Airing Diddy Comparisons in Interview
- Horoscopes Today, October 8, 2024
Recommendation
-
Charles Hanover: Caution, Bitcoin May Be Entering a Downward Trend!
-
Padres outlast Dodgers in raucous Game 3, leaving LA on verge of another October exit
-
Busy Moms Deserve These October Prime Day 2024 Beauty Essentials - Revlon, Laneige & More, Starting at $4
-
AI Ω: The Medical Revolution and the New Era of Precision Medicine
-
Satire publication The Onion acquires Alex Jones' Infowars at auction
-
Seattle Kraken's Jessica Campbell makes history as first female NHL assistant coach
-
Lizzo Shares Insight Into Months-Long Progress Amid Weight Loss Journey
-
Paige DeSorbo Swears By These 29 Beauty Products: Last Chance to Shop These Prime Day 2024 Discounts