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1976/02/02 - Republican Congressional Leadership
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1535044
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1976/02/02 - Republican Congressional Leadership
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James M. Cannon Files (Ford Administration)
James Cannon's Meetings Files
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The original documents are located in Box 56, folder "1976/02/02 - Republican
Congressional Leadership" of the James M. Cannon Files at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP MEETING
Monday, February 2, 1976
6:00 p.m.
Cabinet Room
Gw Bron ollahom
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
RECEIVED
APR 61976
GENIRAL FILES
Digitized from Box 56 of the James M. Cannon Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 2, 1976
MEETING WITH REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS
Monday, February 2, 1976
6:00-7:00 p.m. (60 minutes)
The Cabinet Room
From: Max L. Friedersdorf m.f.
I. PURPOSE
To discuss strategy on H.R. 9464, the Natural Gas
Emergency Bill.
II. BACKGROUND, PARTICIPANTS AND PRESS PLAN
A. Background:
1. The House will open debate Tuesday on H.R. 9464, and
although the Administration supports short-term emer-
gency gas purchasing authorities, it is imperative
that this bill be amended to include long-term deregu-
lation of new natural gas. Such authority is contained
in the Krueger amendment. The bill should also be
amended to delete a requirement for statutory inter-
ference with local utility pricing, delete a troublesome
citizen suit provision, and add a provision for emergency
gas purchases by high priority end users.
2. The Rule permits a vote on the Krueger amendment and
an effort will be made to defeat the Rule by opponents
of long-term deregulation (Dingell, Eckhardt, et.al.).
3. The Republican whip check on the Rule looks encouraging
with prospects of losing only about 20 Republicans.
B. Participants: See TAB A
C. Press Plan:
Meeting has been announced; Press and White House photos;
Zarb and leaders available for briefing afterwards.
III. AGENDA
See TAB B
IV. TALKING POINTS
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
See TAB C
PARTICIPANTS
The President
Administrator Zarb
Assistant Administrator Hill
SENATE
Hugh Scott
Bob Griffin
Carl Curtis
Bob Stafford
John Tower
Ted Stevens
Paul Fannin
HOUSE
Bob Michel
Sam Devine
Barber Conable
Jack Edwards
Jim Quillen
Guy Vander Jagt
Bud Brown
Carlos Moorhead
Jim Broyhill
Jim Collins
STAFF
Bob Hartmann
Jack Marsh
Dick Cheney
Phil Buchen
Max Friedersdorf
Jim Lynn
Brent Scowcroft
Jim Cannon
Alan Greenspan
Bill Seidman
Ron Nessen
Doug Bennett
Vern Loen
Bill Kendall
Charles Leppert
REGRETS
Tom Loeffler
Russ Rourke
The Vice President
Bob Wolthuis
John Rhodes
Eric Zausner
John Anderson
Lou Frey
John Heinz
AGENDA
6:00-6:10 p.m.
The President opens the meeting and discusses
(10 minutes)
the need for passage of long-term natural gas
deregulation.
6:10-6:20 p.m.
The President calls upon Frank Zarb for supple-
(10 minutes)
mentary remarks.
6:20-6:45 p.m.
The President calls upon the leaders for
(25 minutes)
comments. (Bob Michel for whip check update;
Bud Brown, Jim Broyhill, Jim Collins and Carlos
Moorhead as Committee and Subcommittee Members
handling the bill.)
6:45-7:00 p.m.
The President opens the meeting to general
(15 minutes)
discussion and questions.
7:00 p.m.
The President adjourns the meeting.
TALKING POINTS FOR CONGRESSIONAL
LEADERSHIP MEETING
NATURAL GAS DEREGULATION
I understand that natural gas legislation may be brought
up on the House floor tomorrow and that we have a good
chance of passing the Krueger amendment to the Dingell
emergency bill if the opponents of deregulation fail in
their attempts to frustrate the legislative process.
This House vote could well be one of the most important
votes the Nation ever takes regarding its energy future --
its ability to become independent. Failure to deregulate new
gas could result in an additional 2 million barrels per day
of oil imports by 1985.
There is absolutely no reason not to deregulate new gas.
The issue has been studied to death; trends of current
regulation and the reasons for those trends (declining
domestic production) are perfectly clear; it is time to
act.
We have been fortunate this winter in that our earlier
estimates of shortages have not come completely to pass.
But we cannot let the lessening dangers of this winter
lessen the need or motivation for action. We have been
lucky -- mother nature did for us with its warmer tempera-
tures what the Congress has been unable to do -- but our
luck will not last forever. The situation is deteriorating
so rapidly that even mother nature will not be able to help
in the months ahead.
There are, of course, costs to deregulating new gas -- gas
will cost more in the future. But the benefits are greater:
not only will we be able to use our remaining supplies of our
cleanest fuel, but our vulnerability to embargoes will be
reduced dramatically. Besides, the costs will be no different
to the Nation from deregulation than from continued regulation.
If regulation continues, the gas will not be produced, and
consumers will have to switch to higher priced oil. The
issue of protecting the consumer is thus a false issue --
it is simply a question of our gas versus someone elses oil.
As you know, the Administration supports the basic thrusts
of the Krueger amendment. Frank is here to discuss the
Krueger bill and the advantages we see in it over and above
the Pearson-Bentsen bill passed by the Senate.
Frank, why don't you spend a few minutes going through the
bill.