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Republican Leadership Meeting, March 23, 1976
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1515741
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document
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Republican Leadership Meeting, March 23, 1976
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collections
James M. Cannon Files (Ford Administration)
James Cannon's Political Files
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Federal Election Commission. Office of the Staff Directory. Office of the Commission Secretary. 1975-ca. 2005
Legislation
Strip mining
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1976-03-31
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1976
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1976-03-01
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1976
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The original documents are located in Box 42, folder "Republican Leadership Meeting,
March 23, 1976" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
Digitized from Box 42 of the James M. Cannon Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday, March 23, 1976
8:00 a.m.
Cabinet Room
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 22, 1976
MEETING WITH REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS
Tuesday, March 23, 1976
8:00-9:00 a.m. (60 minutes)
The Cabinet Room
From: Max L. Friedersdorf m.b.
I. PURPOSE
To discuss with Republican leaders the issues of the
Federal Election Commission, and surface mining
legislation.
II. BACKGROUND, PARTICIPANTS AND PRESS PLAN
A. Background
1. The extension to the Federal Election Commission decision
by the Supreme Court expired at midnight on Monday.
March 22.
2. The Senate has started its second week of debate on the
unacceptable Hays bill, and the House is scheduled to
consider the bill this week.
3. The House Rules Committee has scheduled a hearing today
(March 23) on H.R. 9725, Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation. Similar legislation was vetoed and sustained
in 1975.
4. An effort to stop the bill in Rules Committee looks very
close with the five Republicans and three Democrats
(Sisk, Delaney and John Young) expected to oppose a Rule.
5. If a Rule is granted, surface mining is expected on the
House Floor immediately after consideration of the FEC
legislation.
6. The President has sent a clear veto signal to the Hill
on surface mining, citing its damaging impact on energy
independence goals.
B. Participants: See TAB A
C. Press Plan:
Announce meeting; Press and White House photographers
III. TALKING POINTS - See TAB B
IV. AGENDA - See TAB C
PARTICIPANTS
The President
Under Secretary of the Interior Frizzell
Assistant Administrator of FEA Hill
Assistant Administrator of EPA Quarles
HOUSE
John Rhodes
John Anderson
Bob Michel
Sam Devine
Jack Edwards
Barber Conable
Lou Frey
Guy Vander Jagt
Jim Quillen
Joe Skubitz
Sam Steiger
Phil Ruppe
Chuck Wiggins
Henson Moore
Bill Frenzel
SENATE
Hugh Scott
Bob Griffin
Carl Curtis
Ted Stevens
Mark Hatfield
Bob Packwood
Paul Fannin
Cliff Hansen
STAFF
Dick Cheney
Jack Marsh
Rog Morton
Brent Scowcroft
REGRETS
Max Friedersdorf
Bill Baroody
The Vice President
Ron Nessen
Secretary Kleppe
Jim Cannon
Administrator Zarb
Jim Lynn
Administrator Train
Rep. Bill Dickinson
Sen. John Tower
Joe Bill Ed Alan Bob Tom Bill Charles Doug Schmults Wolthuis Loeffler Jenckes Bennett Kendall Greenspan Seidman
Sen. Bob Stafford
Sen. Bill Brock
Leppert
Bob Hartmann
Phil Buchen
Russ
Rourke
Glenn Schleede
Barry Roth
Jim Connor
RECONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION
Status: S. 3065 is still on the floor of the Senate. Although a
Griffin substitute for simple reconstitution initially lost last
week 47 to 46, subsequent votes on similar substitution bills
have lost by wider margins. In each instance, we have shown
sufficient strength to sustain a veto. The most significant of
the amendments agreed to on the floor is one by Packwood to
require disclosure of the amounts of expenditures by unions and
corporations for communications to their members or employees
with respect to clearly identifiable candidates. A Mathias amend-
ment to expand Commission membership by the addition of two
independent members was also adopted.
The Democrats have tentatively proposed a compromise bill that
would combine simple reconstitution with changes in the SUNPAC
decision to permit both unions and management to communicate
once per election to non-union employees who do not have super-
visory responsibilities. This approach continues to raise
Constitutional and practical problems and Bob Griffin has not
yet taken a position.
H.R. 12406 (Hays' Bill) will go to Rules tomorrow and is scheduled
for the House floor on Thursday. Hays is seeking a modified close
rule in order to limit the amendments that may be offered. The
Minority members led by Devine, Wiggins and Frenzel have pre-
pared several amendments, including a substitute bill that provides
for simple reconstitution.
Talking Points
1. Let me congratulate all of you in the Senate for the fine job
you did on the floor last week on the FEC. Particularly with the
passage of Bob Packwood's amendment for disclosure of corporate
and union expenditures for communications with members or
employees.
2. Tip O'Neill was quoted this week as saying that, if the current
legislation is vetoed, there will be no federal funds for this campaign.
That is a chance we may have to take, but I think that the pressure
on the Democratic leadership from the candidates and the DNC for
the convention will be tremendous if that result appears imminent.
-2-
3. We have made a good record to date on the many problems
that are raised in the House and Senate bills with respect to
limiting the independence of the Commission and eliminating its
ability to effectively enforce the election laws. We must keep up
this support for independent enforcement while maintaining
Republican unanimity if we are to be successful.
4. I understand that some Democrats in the Senate are suggesting
a tentative compromise to allow simple reconstitution along with
some changes in the SUNPAC decision. Perhaps Hugh Scott and
Bob Griffin can explain this offer and then I would like to hear
everyone's thoughts on where we are.
STRIP MINING - TALKING POINTS
I understand that John Melcher will seek a rule today for
his strip mining bill (H.R. 9725) My people tell me that:
- His bill represents no significant improvement over
the bill I have vetoed twice.
- John (Melcher) may propose some floor amendments but,
thus far, the amendments are largely cosmetic.
- EPA, Interior and FEA are reviewing the production loss
estimates and there is, thus far, no major change from
the 40-162 million tons estimated for the vetoed bill.
(Melcher is considering amendments to grandfather
certain existing mines which, if passed, could reduce
the high end of the range by about 30 million tons, but
with no impact on the low end.)
- There has been no improvement in the administrative
workability of the bill. The bill still has ambiguous,
vague, and complex provisions that would lead to liti-
gation, regulatory delays and major uncertainties about
the bill's impact -- including production losses in
addition to the 40-162 million ton estimate above.
If the bill were enacted, we would be faced with the same
problems as before:
- Near-term coal production losses.
- Related job losses, particularly in Appalachia.
- More pressure to increase oil imports.
- Higher consumer prices -- not just for higher production
and reclamation costs, but also where it is necessary to
switch to imported oil.
- A new Federal regulatory bureaucracy.
Also, when considering this bill, we should keep in mind
that several changes have occurred since strip mining
legislation was first proposed in 1971:
- All 26 of the states with surface mining now have
their own laws and regulations. (24 are either
new or tighter since 1971).
- Interior Department will soon issue its regulations
covering strip mining and reclamation on Federal lands.
- We now know the risk of dependence on foreign oil.
- We recognize that further expansion of the Federal
regulatory bureaucracy is undesirable -- particularly
where it displaces state efforts.
AGENDA
8:00-8:05 a.m.
The President opens the meeting and introduces
(5 minutes)
subjects of Federal Election Commission and
surface mining.
8:05-8:25 a.m.
The President calls upon leaders and jurisdictional
(20 minutes)
Committee Members (House: Devine, Wiggins (Floor
Manager), Frenzel, Henson Moore; Senate: Hugh
Scott, Griffin, Hatfield. Packwood also very
active on bill.), for comments on FEC.
8:25-8:45 a.m.
The President calls upon leaders and jurisdictional
(20 minutes)
Members (House: Skubitz, Sam Steiger, Ruppe;
Senate: Fannin and Hansen), for comments on
strip mining. (John Anderson will have Rules
Committee status.)
8:45-8:55 a.m.
The President invites the leaders to comment on
(10 minutes)
other issues of current interest.
8:55-9:00 a.m.
The President summarizes meeting and concludes
(5 minutes)
discussion by closing the meeting.