New bill to fund Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library announced

Supporters of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library successful North Dakota are cheering caller national authorities to assistance physique the room and to showcase artifacts of the 26th president, who arsenic a young antheral hunted and ranched successful the authorities during its territorial days.

Last week, North Dakota's three-member, all-Republican legislature delegation announced the measure to "authorize backing for the Library’s continued operation and spell towards ensuring the preservation of President Roosevelt’s past and legacy." The bill's Interior Department assistance is for $50 cardinal of one-time money, astir of which "will spell into creating the depository spaces successful our facility," said Matt Briney, the library's main communications officer.

WORKERS MAKE HEADWAY ON THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY IN NORTH DAKOTA'S BADLANDS

The measure besides enables and directs national agencies to enactment with the library's organizers to diagnostic Roosevelt items successful the library's museum, helium said.

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library CEO Ed O'Keefe stands adjacent a bronze statue of the 26th president, Aug. 23, 2023, successful Mandan, N.D. Supporters of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library are cheering caller national authorities to assistance physique the room and to showcase artifacts of the 26th president, who arsenic a young antheral hunted and ranched successful the authorities during its territorial days.  (AP Photo/Jack Dura)

In 2019, North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature approved a $50 cardinal operations endowment for the library, disposable aft its organizers raised $100 cardinal successful backstage donations for construction. That extremity was met successful precocious 2020.

The task has raised $240 cardinal successful backstage donations, and implicit operation costs $333 million, Briney said. Covering the library’s operation costs has not been an issue, helium said.

Construction is underway adjacent Medora, successful the rugged, colorful Badlands wherever the young aboriginal president concisely roamed successful the 1880s. Organizers are readying for a expansive opening of the room connected July 4, 2026, the United States' 250th day of independence.

In a statement, the legislature delegation hailed the measure arsenic "a omniscient concern successful our nation's humanities preservation." In the aforesaid property release, the measure drew praise from descendant Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt V and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who championed the room to the 2019 Legislature.

The measure would necessitate a two-thirds lucifer from authorities funds oregon non-federal sources, and it would prohibit the national wealth from going toward the library's attraction oregon operations.

Planned exhibits see a chronological presumption of Roosevelt's life, specified arsenic galleries of his aboriginal life, clip successful the Badlands, travels to the Amazon and his presidency, Briney said.

The 2023 Legislature approved a $70 cardinal enactment of recognition for the room done the state-owned Bank of North Dakota, which Briney said room planners person not tapped.

That enactment of recognition drew scrutiny past twelvemonth from Republican authorities Rep. Jim Kasper, who called it a "$70 cardinal slush fund" that could permission taxpayers connected the hook. Library CEO Ed O'Keefe has said the enactment of recognition was intended arsenic backstop to assistance guarantee operation could begin.

In an interview, Kasper called the library, which helium supported, "a beauteous happening for the authorities of North Dakota ... but I privation backstage funds raised to wage for it."

"If there's going to beryllium taxpayers' dollars that are used, past I'd alternatively person national dollars utilized than taxpayers of North Dakota dollars," Kasper said. "Obviously there's inactive payer dollars. But I truly don't enactment immoderate payer dollars being utilized for the project, whether they're authorities oregon federal."

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Other statesmanlike libraries person been built with backstage donations oregon non-federal money. Some person received funds for operation and improvement from authorities and section governments and universities, past person been transferred to the national authorities and tally by the National Archives and Records Administration done that agency's budget, according to the National Archives' website.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library volition ever beryllium privately held, said Briney, who called the legislation's wealth "not needfully uncommon."