House Authorizes Federal Matching Funds
for Lincoln Library
The U.S. House passed legislation June 19 allowing up to $50 million over six years for an Abraham Lincoln presidential library in Springfield, Illinois—the town where Lincoln spent most of his adult life before becoming president.
The bill stipulates that state, local, and private contributions for the center must be double the amount of federal dollars and also prohibits the use of taxpayer money to operate the facility once it is built. The state of Illinois has pledged $50 million for the project and the city of Springfield has committed $10 million through local tax incentives, according to the June 21 Springfield State Journal-Register.
No one opposed the bill in the House; in fact, Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.), who was initially critical of the proposal, spoke at length in favor of it. “I think there’s a compelling case that we need a national Lincoln library and that Springfield should be the center,” he said.
Similar legislation in the Senate must still be approved.
Posted June 26, 2000.
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