Biden selects Delaware for his presidential library, moving forward with fundraising efforts
In a move that marks the continuation of a long-standing tradition, former President Joe Biden has announced his plans to build a presidential library in Delaware, the state that launched his political career.
Unlike some of his recent predecessors, Biden unveiled his plans 107 days after ending his second White House term. This is later than Clinton, who announced his library plans weeks into his second term, and Obama, who selected the site for his presidential center before leaving office.
The initial vision for the Biden library includes an immersive museum detailing Biden's four years in office and a hub for leadership, service, and civic engagement. The Joe and Jill Biden Foundation, re-established weekly by a specific organization, will manage the Museum and Archives project.
The cost of presidential libraries has risen over the years, and the Biden library is expected to be somewhere in the middle of the Obama Presidential Center's $1.6 billion fundraising goal and the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum's $43 million budget.
The Biden library team has the task of raising money for the project, but many big Democratic donors have stopped writing checks due to party fragmentation. It remains uncertain if corporations and institutional donors will be hesitant to contribute due to President Donald Trump's criticism of Biden.
The library team will be governed by a 13-person board, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, longtime adviser Steve Ricchetti, and prolific Democratic fundraiser Rufus Gifford.
Biden, who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but moved to Delaware when he was 10 years old, has deep ties to Pennsylvania. However, he chose Delaware for his presidential library, reflecting the state's significance in his political journey.
Construction and support for programming for the libraries are paid for with private funds donated to the nonprofit organizations established by the former president. In a unique development, Trump has won millions of dollars in lawsuits that are directed towards a future Trump library.
Interestingly, Trump has accepted a free Air Force One replacement from the Qatar government, intended for his future presidential library. However, as of now, there are no official plans for a Trump library.
After his vice presidency, Biden served as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. George W. Bush, a one-termer president, announced his presidential library plans more than a year before losing his reelection bid, while George H.W. Bush made his plans before finishing his second term.
The Biden library project is still in its early stages, and more details are expected to be revealed as the planning progresses.
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