Posted by DEAN SKIP RUTHERFORD – The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will soon consider HB 1254, the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007. This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-California) passed the House on March 14 by a vote of 390-34.
In summary, the legislation provides quarterly disclosures of $200 or more to presidential library fundraising organizations (i.e. presidential library foundations) for a period until the time the Archivist of the United States has the title for the building or for four years after a President leaves office. The act is not retroactive but if those dates had applied to the Clinton Foundation they would have been November 18, 2004 and January 20, 2005 respectively. Presidential libraries are built with private funds and there is no limit on the amount a person or organization may give. Under current law, presidential library foundations are not required to report individual donors because foundations obtain nonprofit charitable status. The Clinton Foundation policy has been that disclosure is up to the donor.
Based on my experience of serving as President of the Clinton Foundation during the Clinton Library’s planning, construction and opening as well as reviewing other presidential libraries, there are five major library fundraising categories:
1. The friends and supporters of a particular president (and this is where most of the money is raised).
2. Individuals and organizations that support the preservation of presidential history.
3. Individuals and organizations from the home state and region of the president that see the library as an economic development, educational and tourism asset. (In the case of the Clinton Center, it has been a huge economic, educational — including the Clinton School of Public Service — and tourism boom to Little Rock and Arkansas.
4. Small donors — those who gifts range from $1 to $250. (The Clinton Foundation at one point had more than 100,000 of these from all 50 states and the District of Columbia).
5. Foreign governments and non-U.S. citizens and organizations. (For example, the government of Kuwait is one of the major donors of the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M University. Given President Bush’s defense of the country, it’s easily understood).
Proponents of the legislation believe the disclosure and transparency of donors will expose, reduce or eliminate any perceived special influence or interest these donors might have. Opponents believe some donors request to remain private, not for influence but for personal reasons, and that they may be less inclined to support presidential libraries knowing their gifts will be public.
I expect the legislation to pass. If signed by President Bush, his Presidential Library Foundation will be the first to comply with its provisions.
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