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Digitized from Box 7 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential, Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 3, 1975
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
UPON THE SIGNING OF THE
OF THE BUDGET MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
THE CABINET ROOM
10:04 A.M. EST
Good morning, everybody.
No single act a President can take sets forth
our national goals and our national priorities so completely
and so clearly as the annual budget message to the Congress.
That is why I am particularly pleased to see here this
morning so many of you who have worked so long and so hard
on this document -- to witness this signing ceremony
which is the culmination of these efforts.
Both custom and good manners call for the Chief
Executive to seek the cooperation of the Congress -- and
to pledge his own -- as he, on this occasion, submits the
budget document.
The size of the projected deficit requires me to
go far beyond custom and good manners in pledging my utmost
cooperation. Together, we must stimulate the economy
and reduce the rate of growth at which certain Federal
expenditures have been growing in the past ten years.
If these were normal economic times, the
Congress would be receiving a budget in balance for the
coming fiscal year rather than one with such a large deficit.
But unfortunately, these are not normal times and
the measures that I am proposing -- to give the economy
a boost with tax rebates and reductions, and to provide
greatly expanded assistance to the unemployed -- are
responsible for some of the deficit. Lagging receipts
from tax revenues contribute to most of the remainder of
this deficit.
Without question, our immediate task is the
restoration of active growth in our economy -- and that
goal is reflected in the projected budget deficit.
To sustain our economic growth over the long
haul, we must begin now to set a new course that will
bring our future national budgets into balance during
periods of good economic growth.
MORE
Page 2
Although this budget carries with it a $52 billion
deficit, this amount will be even larger if the Congress
fails to go along with the reductions totaling $17 billion
which I have requested. If we are to achieve long-range
economic stability in America, free from ever-rising
inflation, we must put into effect permanent reductions
in program expenditures.
As I said at the press briefing on the budget last
Saturday, it has become a commonly accepted view that some
Government expenditures are uncontrollable -- that they
will continue whether we like it or not. I firmly reject
that view. They are controllable if the Congress and the
President join together to hold down excessive spending.
This budget is carefully designed to bring some of
these so-called "uncontrollables" back into line. I ask
the Congress to work with me to achieve that result.
Even with the steps I have proposed to return
fiscal integrity, this budget continues the steady and
sharp annual increase in Government payments to individuals --
to those Americans who need help most from their Government.
These payments will increase by $15 billion in
fiscal year 1976 over 1975; from $137 billion to $152 billion.
These payments include increased amounts for Social Security,
welfare, unemployment compensation and retirement payments.
Such payments to individuals have increased steadily as a
percentage of the total budget until they now account for
more than 40 percent of Government spending.
Despite the huge deficit that we project, the
budget being submitted today is a compassionate one. It
has muscle as well. It has discipline and honest self-
denial. It is a start in a new direction along the
permanent road of fiscal integrity which Americans must
achieve for the long-term economic good of our country.
I am pleased that Roy Ash, and some of his staff
from the Office of Management and Budget, could be here
today -- because Roy is shortly returning to private
life.
Like the good soldier he is, Roy stayed on to finish
the job that he began in putting this budget together. He
stuck to it until the last comma and the final period were
in place.
Roy may be one of the most unappreciated men
in Washington -- but not by me. I will miss his "tough"
instincts and sound counsel.
Jim Lynn will be taking over a tight ship
from Roy, and I look to him to enhance further the capability
of solid management so necessary to that office.
MORE
Page 3
At times like this, a simple "thanks" may
sound inadequate. But the dictionary defines the term
as an expression of gratitude and appreciation. And
that is what this Administration -- and this President --
owe: to Roy Ash.
Roy, I hate to see you go, but I must warn
you: I have your unlisted telephone number in Los Angeles.
So, with those observations and comments, I will
sign the two budget documents that go to the Congress. I
can't help but ask the question: Roy, why didn't we
send one up there with the same red color that we have
on the other one?
A left-hander may not look good signing documents,
but I couldn't help but appreciate those two left-handed
tennis players yesterday.
There is the bad news but also, if followed by
the Congress, will be good news. So, Roy, let me give to
you and to the people that I have worked with, and you
have to a greater extent, a pen that is part of the
operation in this final one.
This is for Paul O'Neill and the others.
Thank you very much. Thank you again for all
of the help and assistance.
Now, I know there are others besides the six
or seven of you that have done some work on this. This is
for all of you as well as Roy and the others, and we will
try to have a better one next year, but this one is the
best, I think, that we could possibly do under the
economic circumstances and the facts of life and I thank
you again, Roy.
END
(AT 10:16 A.M. EST)
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"ocrText": "Digitized from Box 7 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential, Library\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nFEBRUARY 3, 1975\nOFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nREMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT\nUPON THE SIGNING OF THE\nOF THE BUDGET MESSAGE TO CONGRESS\nTHE CABINET ROOM\n10:04 A.M. EST\nGood morning, everybody.\nNo single act a President can take sets forth\nour national goals and our national priorities so completely\nand so clearly as the annual budget message to the Congress.\nThat is why I am particularly pleased to see here this\nmorning so many of you who have worked so long and so hard\non this document -- to witness this signing ceremony\nwhich is the culmination of these efforts.\nBoth custom and good manners call for the Chief\nExecutive to seek the cooperation of the Congress -- and\nto pledge his own -- as he, on this occasion, submits the\nbudget document.\nThe size of the projected deficit requires me to\ngo far beyond custom and good manners in pledging my utmost\ncooperation. Together, we must stimulate the economy\nand reduce the rate of growth at which certain Federal\nexpenditures have been growing in the past ten years.\nIf these were normal economic times, the\nCongress would be receiving a budget in balance for the\ncoming fiscal year rather than one with such a large deficit.\nBut unfortunately, these are not normal times and\nthe measures that I am proposing -- to give the economy\na boost with tax rebates and reductions, and to provide\ngreatly expanded assistance to the unemployed -- are\nresponsible for some of the deficit. Lagging receipts\nfrom tax revenues contribute to most of the remainder of\nthis deficit.\nWithout question, our immediate task is the\nrestoration of active growth in our economy -- and that\ngoal is reflected in the projected budget deficit.\nTo sustain our economic growth over the long\nhaul, we must begin now to set a new course that will\nbring our future national budgets into balance during\nperiods of good economic growth.\nMORE\nPage 2\nAlthough this budget carries with it a $52 billion\ndeficit, this amount will be even larger if the Congress\nfails to go along with the reductions totaling $17 billion\nwhich I have requested. If we are to achieve long-range\neconomic stability in America, free from ever-rising\ninflation, we must put into effect permanent reductions\nin program expenditures.\nAs I said at the press briefing on the budget last\nSaturday, it has become a commonly accepted view that some\nGovernment expenditures are uncontrollable -- that they\nwill continue whether we like it or not. I firmly reject\nthat view. They are controllable if the Congress and the\nPresident join together to hold down excessive spending.\nThis budget is carefully designed to bring some of\nthese so-called \"uncontrollables\" back into line. I ask\nthe Congress to work with me to achieve that result.\nEven with the steps I have proposed to return\nfiscal integrity, this budget continues the steady and\nsharp annual increase in Government payments to individuals --\nto those Americans who need help most from their Government.\nThese payments will increase by $15 billion in\nfiscal year 1976 over 1975; from $137 billion to $152 billion.\nThese payments include increased amounts for Social Security,\nwelfare, unemployment compensation and retirement payments.\nSuch payments to individuals have increased steadily as a\npercentage of the total budget until they now account for\nmore than 40 percent of Government spending.\nDespite the huge deficit that we project, the\nbudget being submitted today is a compassionate one. It\nhas muscle as well. It has discipline and honest self-\ndenial. It is a start in a new direction along the\npermanent road of fiscal integrity which Americans must\nachieve for the long-term economic good of our country.\nI am pleased that Roy Ash, and some of his staff\nfrom the Office of Management and Budget, could be here\ntoday -- because Roy is shortly returning to private\nlife.\nLike the good soldier he is, Roy stayed on to finish\nthe job that he began in putting this budget together. He\nstuck to it until the last comma and the final period were\nin place.\nRoy may be one of the most unappreciated men\nin Washington -- but not by me. I will miss his \"tough\"\ninstincts and sound counsel.\nJim Lynn will be taking over a tight ship\nfrom Roy, and I look to him to enhance further the capability\nof solid management so necessary to that office.\nMORE\nPage 3\nAt times like this, a simple \"thanks\" may\nsound inadequate. But the dictionary defines the term\nas an expression of gratitude and appreciation. And\nthat is what this Administration -- and this President --\nowe: to Roy Ash.\nRoy, I hate to see you go, but I must warn\nyou: I have your unlisted telephone number in Los Angeles.\nSo, with those observations and comments, I will\nsign the two budget documents that go to the Congress. I\ncan't help but ask the question: Roy, why didn't we\nsend one up there with the same red color that we have\non the other one?\nA left-hander may not look good signing documents,\nbut I couldn't help but appreciate those two left-handed\ntennis players yesterday.\nThere is the bad news but also, if followed by\nthe Congress, will be good news. So, Roy, let me give to\nyou and to the people that I have worked with, and you\nhave to a greater extent, a pen that is part of the\noperation in this final one.\nThis is for Paul O'Neill and the others.\nThank you very much. Thank you again for all\nof the help and assistance.\nNow, I know there are others besides the six\nor seven of you that have done some work on this. This is\nfor all of you as well as Roy and the others, and we will\ntry to have a better one next year, but this one is the\nbest, I think, that we could possibly do under the\neconomic circumstances and the facts of life and I thank\nyou again, Roy.\nEND\n(AT 10:16 A.M. EST)"
}