3 weeks ago
Supporters of nan Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library successful North Dakota are cheering caller national authorities to thief build nan room and to showcase artifacts of nan 26th president, who arsenic a young man hunted and ranched successful nan authorities during its territorial days.
Last week, North Dakota's three-member, all-Republican legislature delegation announced nan measure to "authorize backing for nan Library’s continued building and spell towards ensuring nan preservation of President Roosevelt’s history and legacy." The bill's Interior Department assistance is for $50 cardinal of one-time money, astir of which "will spell into creating nan depository spaces successful our facility," said Matt Briney, nan 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 activity pinch nan library's organizers to characteristic Roosevelt items successful nan library's museum, he said.
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library CEO Ed O'Keefe stands adjacent a bronze statue of nan 26th president, Aug. 23, 2023, successful Mandan, N.D. Supporters of nan Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library are cheering caller national authorities to thief build nan room and to showcase artifacts of nan 26th president, who arsenic a young man hunted and ranched successful nan authorities during its territorial days. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)
In 2019, North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature approved a $50 cardinal operations endowment for nan 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 complete building costs $333 million, Briney said. Covering nan library’s building costs has not been an issue, he said.
Construction is underway adjacent Medora, successful nan rugged, colorful Badlands wherever nan young early president concisely roamed successful nan 1880s. Organizers are readying for a expansive opening of nan room connected July 4, 2026, nan United States' 250th day of independence.
In a statement, nan legislature delegation hailed nan measure arsenic "a wise finance successful our nation's humanities preservation." In nan aforesaid property release, nan measure drew praise from descendant Theodore "Ted" Roosevelt V and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who championed nan room to nan 2019 Legislature.
The measure would require a two-thirds lucifer from authorities costs aliases non-federal sources, and it would prohibit nan national money from going toward nan library's attraction aliases operations.
Planned exhibits see a chronological position of Roosevelt's life, specified arsenic galleries of his early life, clip successful nan Badlands, travels to nan Amazon and his presidency, Briney said.
The 2023 Legislature approved a $70 cardinal statement of in installments for nan room done nan state-owned Bank of North Dakota, which Briney said room planners person not tapped.
That statement of in installments drew scrutiny past twelvemonth from Republican authorities Rep. Jim Kasper, who called it a "$70 cardinal slush fund" that could time off taxpayers connected nan hook. Library CEO Ed O'Keefe has said nan statement of in installments was intended arsenic backstop to thief guarantee building could begin.
In an interview, Kasper called nan library, which he supported, "a beautiful point for nan authorities of North Dakota ... but I want backstage costs raised to salary 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 still payer dollars. But I really don't support immoderate payer dollars being utilized for nan project, whether they're authorities aliases federal."
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Other statesmanlike libraries person been built pinch backstage donations aliases non-federal money. Some person received costs for building and improvement from authorities and section governments and universities, past person been transferred to nan national authorities and tally by nan National Archives and Records Administration done that agency's budget, according to nan National Archives' website.
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will ever beryllium privately held, said Briney, who called nan legislation's money "not needfully uncommon."
