[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 30, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H4333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                              {time}  1145
           OPENING OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

  (Mrs. Fedorchak of North Dakota was recognized to address the House 
for 5 minutes.)
  Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation celebrates America's 250th 
birthday, North Dakota has the extraordinary privilege of marking this 
milestone in a truly historic way.
  Tomorrow, on July 1, we open the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential 
Library in the Badlands of western North Dakota. It is a place that 
forever shaped one of America's greatest Presidents.
  First, I recognize the countless people whose vision, generosity, and 
determination made this remarkable library possible. They are too 
numerous to mention each individually, but I thank the TR Presidential 
Library Foundation Board, its staff, donors, volunteers, community 
leaders, Secretary Doug Burgum, Robbie Lauf, Ed O'Keefe, and so many 
more. Because of their efforts, future generations will come to North 
Dakota to experience the place that shaped Theodore Roosevelt.
  Theodore Roosevelt famously said: ``I never would have been President 
if it had not been for my experience in North Dakota.''
  He arrived in the Dakota Territory as a young man, grieving 
unimaginable loss. He left transformed. The rugged landscape, 
hardworking ranchers, and independent spirit of the people he met 
there, these things forged the character that would later define his 
Presidency.
  North Dakota didn't just change Theodore Roosevelt. North Dakota 
helped shape the leader who would shape America.
  Roosevelt embodied what he famously called the ``Bully Spirit,'' an 
expression of enthusiasm, optimism, courage, and confidence in 
America's future. He believed in living boldly, embracing challenges, 
and approaching life with energy and purpose.
  This is a spirit that has defined our Nation for 250 years, and it is 
one we should carry forward into the next 250.
  TR was a rancher, a soldier, and a conservationist. He was a 
reformer, an explorer, an author, a statesman, a Nobel Prize recipient, 
and one of the most energetic Presidents our Nation has ever known.
  His life was filled with stories that have become American legend. 
After being shot while campaigning for President, Roosevelt refused to 
leave the stage. The bullet had been slowed by a thick, 50-page speech 
that was folded inside his breast pocket. He insisted on finishing his 
remarks before seeking medical attention.
  His White House reflected the same fearless, determined, and 
adventurous spirit. His children filled it with dogs, snakes, birds, 
ponies, and every imaginable creature. They showed us that public 
service and joy are not mutually exclusive.
  Theodore Roosevelt lived a big life because he believed America was 
meant to dream big, build big, and accomplish big things.
  Interestingly, today's President carries some of these same 
qualities. At President Trump's 2025 inauguration, he said: ``In 
America, impossible is what we do best.''
  Consider some of the big accomplishments of Roosevelt. He 
strengthened our Navy, completed the Panama Canal, won the Nobel Peace 
Prize for negotiating peace between Russia and Japan, and changed the 
way we think about conservation by protecting our public lands, 
forests, parks, and wildlife.
  Perhaps Roosevelt's greatest legacy wasn't simply what he 
accomplished. It was what he asked of every American. His words from 
``Man in the Arena'' remain just as relevant today as when he first 
delivered that speech over a century ago.
  This strikes me so profoundly on the cusp of our 250th birthday, when 
our country is so divided, so angry, and so critical of each other. 
Theodore Roosevelt gives us encouragement. ``It is not the critic who 
counts,'' he reminds us. ``The credit belongs to the man who is 
actually in the arena.''
  Those words are a challenge to each of us and to every generation to 
participate, to lead, to serve, and to have courage to act rather than 
merely criticize.
  As we dedicate this remarkable library in my beautiful State of North 
Dakota, as we do this during America's 250th year, we are reminded that 
the strength of our Republic has never come from spectators. It has 
always come from the citizens willing to enter the arena.
  May every visitor who walks through the doors of the Theodore 
Roosevelt Presidential Library leave inspired by the example of this 
President whose character was forged in North Dakota and whose 
leadership strengthened America.
  His enduring message still calls each of us to live courageously, 
serve faithfully, and leave our country stronger than we found it.
  That is Theodore Roosevelt's legacy. That is the Bully Spirit. As we 
begin our Nation's next 250 years, may it continue to inspire us all.

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