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Digitized from Box 20 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 20, 1976
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
The Foreign Assistance Act of 1974, enacted by the
93rd Congress on December 30, 1974, expresses the sense
of the Congress that the policies and purposes of the
military assistance program should be "reexamined in
light of changes in world conditions and the economic
position of the United States in relation to countries
receiving such assistance." Section 17 (a) of the act
expresses the view that the program, except for military
education and training activities, "should be reduced
and terminated as rapidly as feasible consistent with
the security and foreign policy requirements of the
United States."
To give effect to section 17 (a) of the act, the
Congress directed that I submit to the first session of
the 94th Congress a detailed plan for the "reduction and
eventual elimination of the present military assistance
program." In the intervening period, the two foreign
affairs committees are considering draft legislation that
would arbitrarily terminate grant military assistance
programs after September 30, 1977, unless authorized by
the Congress.
I have stressed repeatedly in my messages to the
Congress and in my reports to the American people, the
need for constancy and continuity in our foreign policy,
and, in particular, in our relationship with nations which
turn to us for necessary support in meeting their most
pressing security needs. Since World War II, the United
States has extended such assistance to friends and allies.
This policy has contributed immeasurably to the cause of
peace and stability in the world. Many countries which
once received grant military assistance have achieved
self-sufficiency in providing for their security interests,
and grant military assistance to a number of current
recipients is being reduced or eliminated.
I firmly believe that grant military assistance in
some form will remain a basic requirement for an effective
U.S. foreign policy for the foreseeable future. In the
Middle East and elsewhere, we must maintain our flexibility
to respond to future assistance requirements which cannot
now be reckoned with precision. It will continue to be in
our interest to be able to meet the legitimate security
requirements of countries who cannot shoulder the full
burden of their own defense and grant assistance will con-
tinue to be needed to assist countries that provide us
essential military bases and facilities. These requirements
will not disappear; they are the necessary result of the
unsettled state of the world and of our role as a world
power.
Nevertheless, in recognition of the expressed sense
of the Congress, I have, in preparing the 1977 budget and
legislative program, reexamined the policies, purposes,
and scope of the military assistance program with a view
more
2
to reducing or terminating any country programs no longer
essential to the security and foreign policy interests of
the United States. As a consequence of this review, the
1977 military assistance budget request will reflect a
28 percent reduction below the 1976 request, the termination
of grant materiel assistance to Korea, and elimination of
five small grant programs in Latin America. Furthermore,
our preliminary estimate of the 1978 requirements indicates
that additional reductions and some additional program
terminations should be feasible in the absence of unfavorable
security or economic development in the countries concerned.
I must emphasize, however, that offsetting increases
in foreign military sales credits will be required in most
instances to meet the legitimate military needs of our
friends and allies at a time when much of their military
equipment is reaching obsolescence and prices of new
equipment are increasing drastically. Moreover, the
capacities of many of these grant military aid recipients
to assume additional foreign exchange costs because of
reduced military aid are limited by the necessity to cope
with higher oil prices as well as the impact of the
recession in the developed countries on their exports.
In these circumstances, I believe the interests of the
United States in the continued security of these countries
are better served by a gradual reduction of grant military
assistance attuned to the particular circumstances of each
country than by an arbitrary termination of all such
assistance on a given date.
Finally, I must emphasize that in this uncertain and
unpredictable era we must maintain our national strength
and our national purposes and remain faithful to our friends
and allies. In these times, we must not deny ourselves the
capacity to meet international crises and problems with all
the instruments now at our disposal. I urge the Congress to
preserve the authorities in law to provide grant military
aid, an instrument of our national security and foreign
policy that has served the national interest well for more
than 30 years.
GERALD R. FORD
THE WHITE HOUSE,
JANUARY 20, 1976
# # # #
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"ocrText": "Digitized from Box 20 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nJANUARY 20, 1976\nOffice of the White House Press Secretary\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nTO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:\nThe Foreign Assistance Act of 1974, enacted by the\n93rd Congress on December 30, 1974, expresses the sense\nof the Congress that the policies and purposes of the\nmilitary assistance program should be \"reexamined in\nlight of changes in world conditions and the economic\nposition of the United States in relation to countries\nreceiving such assistance.\" Section 17 (a) of the act\nexpresses the view that the program, except for military\neducation and training activities, \"should be reduced\nand terminated as rapidly as feasible consistent with\nthe security and foreign policy requirements of the\nUnited States.\"\nTo give effect to section 17 (a) of the act, the\nCongress directed that I submit to the first session of\nthe 94th Congress a detailed plan for the \"reduction and\neventual elimination of the present military assistance\nprogram.\" In the intervening period, the two foreign\naffairs committees are considering draft legislation that\nwould arbitrarily terminate grant military assistance\nprograms after September 30, 1977, unless authorized by\nthe Congress.\nI have stressed repeatedly in my messages to the\nCongress and in my reports to the American people, the\nneed for constancy and continuity in our foreign policy,\nand, in particular, in our relationship with nations which\nturn to us for necessary support in meeting their most\npressing security needs. Since World War II, the United\nStates has extended such assistance to friends and allies.\nThis policy has contributed immeasurably to the cause of\npeace and stability in the world. Many countries which\nonce received grant military assistance have achieved\nself-sufficiency in providing for their security interests,\nand grant military assistance to a number of current\nrecipients is being reduced or eliminated.\nI firmly believe that grant military assistance in\nsome form will remain a basic requirement for an effective\nU.S. foreign policy for the foreseeable future. In the\nMiddle East and elsewhere, we must maintain our flexibility\nto respond to future assistance requirements which cannot\nnow be reckoned with precision. It will continue to be in\nour interest to be able to meet the legitimate security\nrequirements of countries who cannot shoulder the full\nburden of their own defense and grant assistance will con-\ntinue to be needed to assist countries that provide us\nessential military bases and facilities. These requirements\nwill not disappear; they are the necessary result of the\nunsettled state of the world and of our role as a world\npower.\nNevertheless, in recognition of the expressed sense\nof the Congress, I have, in preparing the 1977 budget and\nlegislative program, reexamined the policies, purposes,\nand scope of the military assistance program with a view\nmore\n2\nto reducing or terminating any country programs no longer\nessential to the security and foreign policy interests of\nthe United States. As a consequence of this review, the\n1977 military assistance budget request will reflect a\n28 percent reduction below the 1976 request, the termination\nof grant materiel assistance to Korea, and elimination of\nfive small grant programs in Latin America. Furthermore,\nour preliminary estimate of the 1978 requirements indicates\nthat additional reductions and some additional program\nterminations should be feasible in the absence of unfavorable\nsecurity or economic development in the countries concerned.\nI must emphasize, however, that offsetting increases\nin foreign military sales credits will be required in most\ninstances to meet the legitimate military needs of our\nfriends and allies at a time when much of their military\nequipment is reaching obsolescence and prices of new\nequipment are increasing drastically. Moreover, the\ncapacities of many of these grant military aid recipients\nto assume additional foreign exchange costs because of\nreduced military aid are limited by the necessity to cope\nwith higher oil prices as well as the impact of the\nrecession in the developed countries on their exports.\nIn these circumstances, I believe the interests of the\nUnited States in the continued security of these countries\nare better served by a gradual reduction of grant military\nassistance attuned to the particular circumstances of each\ncountry than by an arbitrary termination of all such\nassistance on a given date.\nFinally, I must emphasize that in this uncertain and\nunpredictable era we must maintain our national strength\nand our national purposes and remain faithful to our friends\nand allies. In these times, we must not deny ourselves the\ncapacity to meet international crises and problems with all\nthe instruments now at our disposal. I urge the Congress to\npreserve the authorities in law to provide grant military\naid, an instrument of our national security and foreign\npolicy that has served the national interest well for more\nthan 30 years.\nGERALD R. FORD\nTHE WHITE HOUSE,\nJANUARY 20, 1976\n# # # #"
}