Federal funds considered for Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Supporters at Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota applaud new federal government legislation to help build the library and feature artifacts from the 26th president, who as a young man hunted and ranched in the state during the territorial era.

Last week, North Dakota's three-member all-Republican congressional delegation announced the bill to authorize funding for continued construction of the library and to ensure the preservation of the library's history and the legacy of President Roosevelt. The bill's Department of the Interior grant is $50 million one-time, the majority of which will be dedicated to creating museum spaces at our facilities,” said Matt Briney, director of communications for the library.

The bill also authorizes and directs federal agencies to work with library organizers to display Roosevelt artifacts in the library's museum, he said.

In 2019, North Dakota's Republican-controlled Legislature approved a $50 million appropriation for the library's operations, available after its organizers raised $100 million in private donations for construction. This objective was achieved at the end of 2020.

The project raised $240 million in private donations and complete construction cost $333 million, Briney said. Covering the library's construction costs hasn't been a problem, he said.

Work is underway near Medora, in the wild and colorful Badlands where the young future president briefly wandered in the 1880s. Organizers plan a grand opening of the library on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the states' independence -United.

In a statement, the congressional delegation praised the bill as a wise investment in our nation's historic preservation. In the same press release, the bill drew praise from Theodore descendant Ted Roosevelt V and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who championed the library in the 2019 Legislature.

The bill would require a two-thirds contribution from state funds or non-federal sources, and it would prohibit federal money from being appropriated for the maintenance or operation of the library.

Planned exhibits include a chronological view of Roosevelt's life, such as galleries from his early life, his time in the Badlands, his 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 Bank of North Dakota, which Briney said library planners had not tapped.

That credit line came under scrutiny last year from Republican state Rep. Jim Kasper, who called it a $70 million slush fund that could leave taxpayers grappling with responsibility. Library CEO Ed O'Keefe said the credit line was intended to serve as a safety net to 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 money raised to fund it.

If tax dollars are going to be used, then I'd rather use federal money than North Dakota tax dollars, Kasper said. Obviously, there is still taxpayer money left. But I really don't support taxpayer dollars being used for the project, whether state or federal.

Other presidential libraries were built with private donations or non-federal funds. Some received construction and development funds from state and local governments and universities, then were transferred to the federal government and managed by the National Archives and Records Administration through that agency's budget, according to the website from the National Archives.

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will still be privately owned, said Briney, who called the legislation's money “not necessarily scarce.”

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