Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Museum Artifacts Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of S. 675 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
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Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I would like to thank my colleagues for joining me just now in--well, I had hoped he would be here. Unfortunately, I guess he is running a little late. So I have to say I just have to thank my colleague for joining me in passing this legislation.

S. 675 authorizes Federal funding in the use of artifacts and materials for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, ND.

I want to thank Senator Blumenthal and also Senator Cramer for cosponsoring the legislation with me.

Our legislation will help ensure that current and future generations of Americans can learn from and be inspired by one of our Nation's most consequential Presidents--Theodore Roosevelt. It builds upon our yearslong effort to establish a library.

In 2020, Congress approved our legislation, enabling the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation to purchase 93 acres of Forest Service land at fair market value for the library. We worked to secure rancher support to preserve local control and consultation on the project.

Also, we worked to protect the availability of acres for grazing, including a commitment from the Forest Service to reaffirm the existing Medora Grazing Association agreement for a full 10-year period.

In just days, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is scheduled to open. As Americans prepare to celebrate our Nation's 250th anniversary, visitors from across the country and around the world will soon be able to experience a library dedicated to the life, leadership, and conservation ethic of our Nation's 26th President.

Few places influenced Theodore Roosevelt more than North Dakota. As President Roosevelt proudly claimed, he would never have become President had it not been for his time in the Dakota Territory. President Roosevelt first traveled to the North Dakota Badlands in 1883 to hunt bison. He returned the following year during one of the most difficult periods of his life, grieving the loss of both his wife and his mother on the same day--February 14, 1884.

The 3 formative years he spent embracing ranching and the ``strenuous life'' helped shape the perspective and character of a leader who would go on to become President, a champion for conservation, and one of the most influential figures in our Nation's history.

It is only fitting that the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is being built adjacent to another national treasure named in his honor: Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Our legislation provides a commonsense framework to support this nationally significant institution. It authorizes up to $50 million in Federal funding but only after the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation raises twice that amount from non-Federal sources.

It also authorizes the library foundation to enter into agreements to allow for the display of federally held artifacts and objects relating to Theodore Roosevelt to be displayed and shared with the public.

This legislation is consistent with similar support provided by Congress for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL. Congress recognized then that preserving the history and legacy of President Lincoln was a national priority, and the same is true today for President Roosevelt.

The central values of Theodore Roosevelt's life--leadership, citizenship, and conservation--continue to inspire Americans today. His life reminds us that challenges can be transformed into opportunities and that places and people often shape great leaders around them.

As the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library prepares to welcome its first visitors, we have the opportunity today to reaffirm our commitment to preserving that legacy for generations to come.

With that, I again thank my colleagues for agreeing to pass this legislation today.

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