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1252198
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1/21/75 - Press Conference Opening Remarks
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1252198
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document
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1/21/75 - Press Conference Opening Remarks
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Energy policy
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21
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1975-01-21
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1975
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21
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1975-01-21
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1975
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The original documents are located in Box 5, folder "1/21/75 - Press Conference Opening
Remarks" of the President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box 5 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN def
PRESS CONFERENCE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1975
- 1 -
BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS, I WANT TO TAKE
A MOMENT TO BRIEFLY REVIEW WITH YOU SEVERAL CRITICAL
ENERGY ISSUES.
THE ENERGY DECISIONS I ANNOUNCED AS PART OF
MY STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS RESULTED FROM THE MOST
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW THIS NATION HAS EVER MADE OF ITS
ENERGY PROBLEMS.
- 2 -
THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE ARE ONLY
THREE BASIC ALTERNATIVES.
THE FIRST IS TO CONTINUE DOING
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
I HAVE REJECTED THIS BECAUSE,
contraine
IF WE DO, WE WILL BE IMPORTING TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT MORE
OIL BY 1977.
BY 1985, WE WILL BE DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN
SOURCES FOR MORE THAN HALF OF OUR OIL.
THIS WOULD
SUBJECT THE ECONOMY OF THE UNITED STATES TO VERY SERIOUS
DISRUPTION IF THESE SUPPLIES WERE ONCE AGAIN CURTAILED.
- 3 -
THE EMBARGO OF 1973 OCCURRED DURING A PERIOD WHEN
A LITTLE MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF OUR OIL CAME FROM FOREIGN
SOURCES.
THE DISRUPTIONS WE SUFFERED THEN WERE JUST
A SMALL TASTE OF WHAT WOULD LIKELY HAPPEN IN THE EVENT OF
A FUTURE EMBARGO WHEN WE WOULD BE FAR MORE VULNERABLE.
- 4 -
SOME HAVE SUGGESTED RATIONING AS THE SECOND
ALTERNATIVE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY MANY IN CONGRESS
AND ELSEWHERE ARE ATTEMPTING TO FIND A SOLUTION WHICH
DOES NOT ENTAIL SACRIFICE AND HARDSHIP.
BUT THERE
IS NO EASY SOLUTION.
I NEVER PROMISED ONE.
I BELIEVE THAT THOSE WHO PROPOSE RATIONING DO NOT
HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEIR PLAN WOULD
ENTAIL FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
- 5 -
MANY OF US, OF COURSE, REMEMBER RATIONING
DURING WORLD WAR TWO.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS
NATION IS CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING A RATIONING PROGRAM
DURING A SHORT EMERGENCY.
HOWEVER, TO REALLY
CURB DEMAND, WE WOULD HAVE TO EMBARK ON A LONG-RANGE
RATIONING PROGRAM OF MORE THAN FIVE YEARS.
THOSE
FAVORING RATIONING MUST BE THINKING OF A SHORT-TERM
PROGRAM, NOT A SERIOUS LONG-TERM EFFORT TO END
ENERGY DEPENDENCY.
1 1 6
FURTHER, THERE IS SIMPLY NO WAY TO REACH
OUR GOALS BY RATIONING.
RATIONING PROVIDES NO
STIMULUS TO INCREASE DOMESTIC PETROLEUM SUPPLY OR
ACCELERATE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES.
BY
CONCENTRATING EXCLUSIVELY ON GASOLINE RATIONING,
MANY OTHER AREAS FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION ARE OVERLOOKED.
- 7 -
IN ADDITION TO BEING INEFFECTIVE, GAS RATIONING
IS INEQUITABLE.
EVEN A RATIONING SYSTEM THAT IS DESIGNED
WITH THE BEST MOTIVES IN MIND AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE
MOST CONSCIENTIOUS ADMINISTRATORS WOULD NOT BE FAIR.
IF YOU WERE TO GO AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ASK INDIVIDUALS
WHAT THEY SHOULD GET UNDER A "FAIR" RATIONING SYSTEM,
YOU WOULD FIND THAT THERE WOULD SIMPLY NOT BE ENOUGH
GASOLINE TO GO AROUND.
IN FACT, TO REACH OUR 1975
GOAL OF REDUCING OIL IMPORT BY ONE MILLION BARRELS PER DAY,
A GAS RATIONING SYSTEM WOULD
MASSAFO
LIMIT EACH DRIVER TO
LESS THAN NINE GALLONS A WEEK.
- 8 -
INEQUITIES WOULD BE EVERYWHERE -- HOW
WOULD PEOPLE IN REMOTE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY GET ENOUGH
GAS TO DRIVE INTO TOWN?
HOW WOULD FARMERS GET
ENOUGH GAS TO HARVEST THEIR CROPS?
WHAT
WOULD HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO MUST DRIVE A LONG WAY TO
WORK?
AND WHO WOULD MAKE THOSE DECISIONS?
- 9 -
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE SIZE OF
THE PROBLEM WHICH WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO SOLVE.
AS A
CONSEQUENCE, WE MUST EVALUATE EACH ENERGY PROGRAM TO SEE
WHETHER IN FACT IT CONFRONTS -- AND SOLVES -- THE PROBLEM.
IT DOES US LITTLE GOOD TO IMPOSE RATIONING OR A GASOLINE TAX
OR SIMPLY SHUTDOWN GASOLINE STATIONS ON SUNDAY.
- 10-
THESE WILL NOT GIVE US ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.
THE ALTERNATIVE
I HAVE CHOSEN RELIES ON FREEDOM OF INDIVIDUAL CHOICE,
GIVING PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES AN INCENTIVE TO SAVE ENERGY.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE OUR ENERGY GOALS.
THE
NEED FOR ACTION NOW IS CLEAR.
- 11-
THEREFORE, LATER THIS WEEK, I WILL SIGN A
PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION WHICH WILL SET IN MOTION THE
MOST IMPORTANT AND FAR REACHING ENERGY CONSERVATION
PROGRAM IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY.
IT IS THE FIRST
STEP TOWARD REGAINING OUR ENERGY FREEDOM.
WE MUST REVERSE OUR INCREASING DEPENDENCY
ON IMPORTED OIL.
IT SERIOUSLY THREATENS OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND THE VERY EXISTENCE OF OUR FREEDOM AND
LEADERSHIP IN THE FREE WORLD.
-12-
THE PROCLAMATION IS DESIGNED TO IMPOSE
HIGHER FEES ON IMPORTED OIL WHICH ARE EQUITABLE AND FAIR.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT WILL CONTAIN SPECIAL PROVISIONS TO
AVOID UNDUE HARDSHIPS ON CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY --
SUCH AS THE NORTHEAST -- WHICH ARE HEAVILY DEPENDENT
UPON HIGH-COST FOREIGN OIL.
ON THURSDAY, I WILL
MEET WITH THE GOVERNORS OF THE NORTHEAST STATES ON
THEIR SPECIAL PROBLEMS.
-13-
IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT CONGRESS ACT QUICKLY
ON MY ENERGY PROPOSALS.
THE INCREASED REVENUES WHICH
THE GOVERNMENT WILL COLLECT FROM ENERGY TAXES MUST BE
RETURNED TO CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES THROUGH MY PROPOSED
TAX CUT. TO INSURE SPEEDY ENACTMENT OF THE PROGRAM,
THE
I WILL WORK WITH CONGRESS.
A
-14-
I WILL NOT SIT BY AND WATCH THIS NATION
CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT AN ENERGY CRISIS AND DO NOTHING
ABOUT IT.
NOR WILL I TAKE HALF-WAY MEASURES WHICH
FAIL TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION THAT HAS PUT OUR NATION IN
THIS POSITION.
WE HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THIS COUNTRY,
THE TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITY AND THE SPIRIT TO REGAIN
OUR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.
- 15-
I WILL USE ALL OF MY POWERS AS PRESIDENT TO MAKE
CERTAIN THAT WE SUCCEED.
I BELIEVE MR. CORMIER HAS THE FIRST QUESTION.
END OF TEXT