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Press Conference No. 26 of the President of the United States
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Press Conference No. 26 of the President of the United States
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Digitized from Box 21 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
PRESS CONFERENCE NO. 26
of the
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
4:00 P.M. EST
February 13, 1976
Friday
In the Grand Ballroom
At the Sheraton Orlando
Jetport Inn
Orlando, Florida
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Why don't
we all sit down and relax.
Joe McGovern, members of the Sigma Delta Chi, my
former colleagues in the House, Lou, Skip and Bill,
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:
I am extremely happy to be back in the Sunshine
State and likewise, as far as the City of Orlando is concerned,
I have been here a number of times, but before we begin the
questions, I have one announcement.
The International Chamber of Commerce has decided
to hold its 1978 annual convention here in Orlando. It is
expected that the convention will generate about a million
dollars for your local economy.
The United States Travel Service, a division of
the Federal Department of Commerce, was instrumental in
attracting this convention to the United States, and your
own outstanding facilities made Orlando the final choice
of the International Chamber.
I think this is an excellent example of how
Government and the private sector can work together toward
a common goal.
I congratulate the City of Orlando, and I am
pleased that we were able to play a part in this successful
venture and effort.
For those brief observations and that good news
announcement, I will be glad to respond to the first
question.
MORE
Page 2
QUESTION: Mr. President, a two-part question,
sir.
Since you took office, you have lashed out somewhat,
of course, at Congress for its slowness in investment of a
research and energy conservation plan. We now understand from
ERDA that it will be possibly more than six months before
the site for the solar research center is chosen and that
politics has entered into the picture so much in that site
selection that all the States in the Union may soon join
in that competition.
The question is, sir, is the pot -- meaning the
Ford Administration -- calling the kettle black?
THE PRESIDENT: Let me get to the process and
procedure for determination for the site of the solar
research center.
ERDA, under Dr. Robert Seamans, is in the process
of preparing the criteria which will be distributed
to all applicants for participation in the solar research
center. It is expected that the criteria will be developed
and made available within several weeks or a month.
Following that, any city, any State, any combin-
ation of Governmental units can apply on the basis of the
criteria, the technical criteria that has been established
by the Energy Research and Development Agency.
As I said, it will be two to four weeks before the
criteria are out. It will probably be six months or so
after all applications have been received before ERDA can
make a final decision.
That decision will be made as rapidly as possible.
We want to move ahead as quickly as possible because solar
research and solar techniques are very important in our long-
range energy program.
MORE
Page 3
" QUESTION: Mr. President, would it possibly be
in the best interest of the country's taxpayers to develop
the center here in Florida, in Brevard County, with the
expertise of the Kennedy Space Center is nearby, and
particularly as Broward County maintained a 17 percent
or more unemployment rate?
THE PRESIDENT: Certainly, Broward County
and the whole area have many, many assets that certainly
will be important at the time they submit their application
under the criteria established by ERDA. But it would be
ill-advised and probably completely wrong for me to make
any commitment on behalf of ERDA because that is a technical
decision. I am sure that the application will be a good
one, I am certain this area will get excellent consideration,
but it would be, I think, wrong for me to make a decision
other than to say I know you had lots of sunshine.
QUESTION: Mr. President, you have given the
first of some special messages to Congress on theeproblems.of
the elderly. What kind of help do you propose to help Florida's
many senior citizens?
THE PRESIDENT: In the first place, I fully agree
with whatever the increases in Social Security benefits will
be under the cost of living escalator clause. That will
take place later this year. I fully concur with that.
Number two, I happen to believe it is vitally
important for us to make certain that the Social Security
Trust Fund is fully funded. At the present time, it is running
in a deficit of about $4 billion per year. Sometime in
1980,if we don't do something, the funds will be depleted.
I have recommended one proposal to make sure--to make positive.
that those who are retired and those who are to be retired
will have a continuous flow of the benefits under Social
Security.
Number three, I have recommended that we incorporate
in the law a new program to take care of roughly the
3 : million individuals, most of whom are among our older
citizens, who are suffering from what we call catastrophic
illnesses. At the present time, there is no program to
take care of those who have expanded and serious illnesses.
I have proposed a catastrophic health care plan that will take
care of about 3 million people under Medicare. I think it is
a good proposal and I hope the Congress will respond to it.
In addition, I have recommended good funding,
I think, for what we call the Older Americans Act. It has
a wide variety of services that are incorporated and I hope
the Congress does as I have recommended in the funding of
those programs.
MORE
Page 4
QUESTION: On the health care plan you mentioned,
Dr. Hobert Jackson, Vice President of the National Council
on Aging, said in Gainesville that your health care program
has some good concepts, but, in effect, it would help
only one in every 300 people affected.
THE PRESIDENT: As I understand it, it would help,
very specifically, 3 million out of roughly 24 million.
Now the good part of it is that these 3 million are the ones
who are most adversely affected by the cost of two, three and
five years of extended care in mounting doctor bills. It
seems to me that we ought to put special emphasis on
taking care of those tragic cases where you have extended
illnesses.
In the meantime, under Medicare, there still
would be a health care program for those who participate.
But we put a new tilt, trying to be helpful to the people
affected with a catastrophic illness.
QUESTION: Mr. President, not too many years
ago another American President put a challenge fourth to this
country and put a man on the moon, technology met that
challenge, as you know
that task was met. The Project
Independence was recently launched to make this country
self-sufficient. This is failing and failing miserably.
Why is it failing, Mr. President? Why can't this country
be energy self-sufficient and would you put a timetable
on that?
THE PRESIDENT: In January of 1975 in my State of
the Union Message I laid out a ten year program. I have a
number of specific items that, if Congress would respond,
we could become energy independent in ten years, by 1985.
Unfortunately, the Congress dilly-dallied, day after day
after day, and finally in December they passed a partial
answer to the request that I had made in January. The bill
which I signed is a base from which we can operate. It
provides for some conservation. It provides over a 40-month
period, for increased production, dpmestically, and it has
some conservation features.
On the other hand, it has done nothing to deregulate
natural gas. Tragically, we had a setback a week or so ago
in the House of Representatives, but we hope we can retrieve
that. That would be something that I recommended Congress
should do. In addition, I have recommended for the Energy
Research and Development Program $2 billion, 900 million.
It is about a 30-some percent increase in research and
development funds for energy, including solar, geothermal,
fossil fuels, nuclear energy. And if Congress appropriates
the money, it will move us ahead in those fields as well
as several other exotic fields. In the case of solar energy,
the increase in research and development funds was over
40 percent. So we are trying to move ahead in conservation,
in increased omestic production, the greater utilization of
coal in research and development for the long term. Although
the Congress did not respond as well as I would have liked last
year, I think we will make more headway in 1976.
MORE
Page 5
QUESTION: Do you have any timetable in mind
on that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: If the Congress would pass all
the things I recommended, we would be well on our way to
energy independence by 1985. Even though they have been
a little slow, I am always an optimist that they will begin
to move.
QUESTION: Mr. President, I have a two-part question
concerning UN Ambassador Daniel Moynihan. Would you comment
on James Reston's report that while you were publicly
praising Ambassador Moynihan, you and Secretary Kissinger
deplored his actions?
THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Kissinger and myself, both
publicly and privately, repeatedly endorsed the positions
that Ambassador Moynihan took and the way he handled his job
as Ambassador to the United Nations. I think the best evidence
of that is what Ambassador Moynihan said on many occasions
subsequent to his letter of resignation where he fully
indicated that I had supported him, that Secretary Kissinger
had supported him. I think the new Ambassador who will
succeed him will carry out the same policy or policies of
strength in the United Nations, trying to break up the
block voting, making certain that the position of the
United States is strongly put forward and that we don't
take a back seat to anybody.
Pat Moynihan did a fine job and his successor
will, too.
QUESTION: Along that same line, on the question
of appointment for a new UN Ambassador, the Sentinel Star
here in Orlando has called on you editorially to appoint
an eagle and not a pigeon. Which will. it be?
THE PRESIDENT: The first Ambassador I appointed
to the United Nations was Pat Moynihan. I guess Pat would fall
under the heading of an eagle and I can assure you, as I said
a moment ago, that his successor will be just as strong, just
as firm, as Pat Moynihan.
MORE
Page 6
QUESTION: Mr. President, you already touched
on deregulation of natural gas. The oil industry is pushing
Congress and Government to deregulate natural gas. This would
increase the cost to user States like Florida considerably.
It would go at least from 50 cents to $2.00.
Now what effect would this have on consumer
prices and what effect would it have on the people of
Florida?
THE PRESIDENT: I think it really comes down to
this. We either have American natural gas or you use foreign
oil. I think the American people would rather have American
natural gas than to pay high prices they are paying for
Middle Eastern oil at the present time. If we deregulate
natural gas in the United States, we will increase the
supply and the price increase will be moderate, and we will
control it, but if you rely and continue to rely on Middle
Eastern oil, the price is out of our control. It is in
the hands of the Arab OPEC nations.
So I would rather put my gamble on American
products right here at home than to depend on the whim and
fancy and the price increases of Arab oil.
QUESTION: Do you think natural gas would replace
a lot of oil supplies?
THE PRESIDENT: I think if we give the people who
are seeking to develop more American gas and oil wells--if
they have a fair price--will develop a greater source of
supply. No question about it. But if we keep the price
down, it is uneconomical for them to drill. We have to
give them an incentive. And I would rather give the incentive
to American oil and gas people than I would to OPEC Arab oil
drillers.
That is just what it amounts to.
MORE
Page 7
QUESTION: Mr. President, I am from your home
area, Traverse City. I interviewed you before you were
President. It is nice to see you as President.
Secretary of the Treasury William Simon was here
yesterday, and he mentioned he would like to see income
tax -- a personal income tax -- based on a straight,
no deduction percentage.
Was that his idea or was that a trial balloon
he is sending up for the Administration?
THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary of the Treasury,
who is a most able member of my Cabinet, has talked to me
about this proposal. I think there are some good features
in it. But, I think it ought to be researched more. I
think it ought to be staffed, as we say, among more people
than just one individual.
Such a study, if it is not already underway, will
get underway, but I think it is premature to make any
commitment until we have a final evaluation. I can tell you
that Secretary Simon is pushing it, but we have not given
any green light to the submission as far as the Congress is
concerned.
QUESTION: The second part of the question might
be, do you have a tax revision plan?
THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary of the Treasury
has testified on a number of occasions before the House
Committee on Ways and Means, and I think the Senate Finance
Committee, with some guidelines of this Administration
concerning tax reform and tax revision.
The House has passed a bill. We like some of it.
We don't like other parts of it. We think the Internal
Revenue Code could be simplified. But, we are working with
the Congress not only on our ideas but some of the things
that have come out from the Department of the Treasury.
In the State of the Union Message that I gave a
month or so ago, I did recommend some tax changes, one of
them to provide an incentive to industry to build new
plants, buy new equipment in high unemployment areas,
giving them a more rapid amortization.
I also recommended tax changes that would permit
individuals to buy stock in American corporations to become
owners and get a tax deferral during that period of time.
I think we ought to broaden the ownership of American
industry. That was another tax proposal, and we will be
coming forth with some others as the session progresses.
MORE
Page 8
QUESTION: Mr. President, we are told you are only
going to make two visits to Florida before the March 9
primary. Are you confident that only four or five days of
campaigning in Florida can win you the primaries, especially
when most political observers see the Ford-Reagan contest
as a toss-up in this State and that many reports have
surfaced that your Florida campaign is in disarray?
THE PRESIDENT: Let me make two very categorical
comments.
Number one, I think I will do well in Florida.
Number two, my campaign organization is in good
shape.
Lou Frey has done a good job. We have supplemented
his staff with some additional people because it is getting
closer and closer to March 9. Therefore, I think our Florida
organization will do a good job, and I think we will win
in Florida.
Now, I happen to believe that coming down here
on this trip and possibly another one is important. That
is why I am here. But, I must say my principal job is to
continue to be an effective President.
It is more important that I attend to the many,
many responsibilities as President and on weekends or on
quick trips I will try to come down, as I am on this
occasion.
But, my principal responsibility is to make sure
that our domestic and international policies are carried out
in the best interest of the country as a whole.
QUESTION: Today you vetoed the $6 billion public
works bill that was designed to create 600,000 new jobs.
Are you confident that the Nation is making a good enough
economic recovery that no new Federal jobs program will be
needed?
THE PRESIDENT: Let me say we have had some excellent
news last week. We got an indication that the unemployment
rate had dropped by half a percentage point, the best record
in 16 years of a drop. In additon, we have 800,000 more
Americans gainfully employed in January than we had in
December, and two million, 100 thousand more since last
March.
The unemployment trend is down. The employment
trend is up, and we are very encouraged. Then we had some
good news this morning.
MORE
Page 9
The Wholesale Price Index showed no increase,
which means that no: increase in January, 1.4 percent minus
in December and a zero increase in November. So, for the
last three months, a quarter of a year, we have had a minus
movement as far as the Wholesale Price Index is concerned.
So, both employment and unemployment and the Whole-
sale Price Index were doing very well, and I am optimistic
that if we keep the economy going the way it is going, there
is no need for a $6 billion inflationary, so-called jobs bill.
It seems to me if you add $6 billion to the
Federal deficit, which that bill would do, all you are doing
is helping to reignite the fires of inflation. In that bill
for every job it will cost the Federal Government $25,000.
I think the better way to solve unemployment is to
make certain that the private sector of our economy, where
five out of every six jobs exist, gets some inspiration and
some incentive and, if the Congress would pass the tax
proposal that I recommended, we would be a lot better off in
this, I think, inflationary, so-called jobs bill.
QUESTION: Mr. President, Senator Tower of Texas
was in Orlando campaigning on your behalf earlier this week.
During a news conference here he said your candidacy could
survive a loss here in Florida but Ronald Reagan could not.
The first part of my question is do you agree with
his assessment, and the second part of my question is what
effect would a Reagan victory in Florida have on your
candidacy?
THE PRESIDENT: It would be a disappointment
beeause I think we are going to do quite well here. But,
losing Florida -- and I say again I don't think we will --
but losing Florida won't deter me one bit from continuing
the effort right up to the last vote in Kansas City in
August.
I am going to be in this ball game up until the
whistle blows, so I think we are going to win in Florida.
Even if we lose, we are going to keep campaigning, and we
are going to keep in the ball game, and we are going to get
the nomination.
QUESTION: As to a possible victory by your
campaign here in Florida, what effect would that have on
Ronald Reagan's candidacy?
MORE
Page 10
THE PRESIDENT: I am not really the best judge of
what the former Governor will do. I think it will be a very
serious disappointment to him, but I would not want to
prejudge what his actions might be subsequent to that.
QUESTION: Mr. President, Governor Reagan's Florida
campaign manager said this week you were trying to buy votes
by offering an Administration post to a prominent Florida
conservative Jerry Thomas, who endorsed you this week. Have
you offered him a post, and what is your reaction to the
Reagan campaign's charge?
THE PRESIDENT: I first want to say I have known
Jerry Thomas for a long time. I campaigned with him when he
ran for Governor several years ago. I was trying to help
the Republican Party down here in Florida. He was the
candidate for Governor.
I was impressed with him then and I have been
impressed with him all along. We talked to him some months
ago about joining the Ford Administration. It looks
like such a possibility will take place.
I think he will make an excellent top executive
in the Administration, and I am very honored and very
pleased with his endorsement because I think he is a success-
ful State Legislator.
He was a good candidate for Governor, and he has
been a very successful businessman, and I think we will be
lucky to get him, and I am very pleased with his endorsement.
I think the charges by some campaign manager are completely
without foundation.
QUESTION: Mr. President, all of the candidates who
have campaigned in central Florida have criticized your
policy, the Administration policy concerning detente with
the Soviet Union, and in particular Mr. Reagan said last week
the only thing detente has accomplished is our ability to
sell Pepsi Cola in Siberia.
Just how do comments like this affect the
conduct
of American foreign policy?
THE PRESIDENT: First, let me say I am very
proud of the accomplishments of our American foreign
policy. We are at peace. We are at peace because we are
strong.
I have submitted strong, affirmative Defense
Department budgets to the Congress so we will stay
strong.
MORE
Page 11
With that kind of military capability, we have
been able to implement a policy of peace with strength
in foreign policy. Since I became President 18 months
ago, we have strengthened our alliance in Western Europe.
It has never been better.
Our relations with Japan, a very important ally
in the Pacific, are excellent. We have been able to
reaffirm our relations with our many other friends around
the rest of the globe.
We have made tremendous success in diffusing the
volatile situation in the Middle East. We were able, because
we were strong, to have the confidence of both Israel on the
one hand and Egypt on the other. That is a tremendous
stride forward under this Administration in foreign policy,
and we will make other successful efforts in that area.
We have maintained a growing relationship with
the People's Republic of China. At the same time, we
have been able to negotiate with strength with the Soviet
Union. We are negotiating right now to put a cap on the
nuclear arms race.
If an agreement is reached, it will be an agreement
beneficial to us, equally beneficial to the Soviet Union
will be an agreement that will keep our powder dry and not
put our finger on the nuclear trigger, and it will relax
tensions between the two superpowers.
That is the kind of a foreign policy that is in the
best interest of the United States. I won't comment on any
rhetoric concerning the policy that has been successful. I
am proud of it. I think most Americans are proud of it,
and they should know that it will continue, a policy of
peace with strength under the next four years with the Ford
Administration.
MORE
Page 12
QUESTION: Mr. President, do you feel like the
comment, however, by Mr. Reagan in particular violates the so-
called 11th Commandment that he has pledged to abide, that he
will not speak evil of you during the campaign?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, things get disappointing and
I think people forget what they might have said at one time
and so it does not bother me: I just want the public
to know we have a good foreign policy. We are going to
keep it good and we are not going to worry about some campaign
rhetoric.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.
QUESTION: Mr. President, do you agree with
Secretary Kissinger's comment that the House Intelligence
Committee report represents to many a new brand of
McCarthyism?
THE PRESIDENT: I think that is a fairly accurate
description. I think that that committee report, which the
House of Representatives said should not be published by
better than a two to one vote, having been leaked, is an
unfair, unjust way to criticize an individual or a policy.
And I think it certainly falls within the parameters of
McCarthyism.
Let me just add this: Under this Administration
we are going to have a strong intelligence community
and we are not going to permit the Congress to dismantle
America's intelligence community.
You were going to ask another question?
QUESTION: I was going to ask you if you agree
with the proposal for one intelligence oversight committee
for Congress?
THE PRESIDENT: I am going to make some recommendations
to the Congress very shortly involving the entire intelligence
community, but I should say that over the years I have been
very sympathetic to a joint House-Senate intelligence
committee. I am not saying we are going to recommend that
because that is a prerogative of the Congress, not a
prerogative of the Executive Branch, but I think there is
much merit to that proposal.
QUESTION: Mr. President, were you made aware of
former President Nixon's visit to China before, and,if so,
how. And, also, does that visit have any effect on U.S.
foreign policy with China and the Soviets?
THE PRESIDENT: The day that President Nixon called
me and told me that he had been invited as a private citizen
to the People's Republic of China, I had heard some advance
notice that day, but I got the specifics on the phone call
that he made to me in mid-afternoon that particular day.
MORE
Page 13
He is going as a private citizen at the
invitation of the People's Republic. I have said before
and I will repeat here, I have no particular reaction,
pro or con, concerning that private visit.
QUESTION: If we could talk about detente again.
Do the statements made by your opponent and some of the
Democrats, and, in particular, Henry Jackson, do they adversely
affect U.S. foreign policy?
THE PRESIDENT: I think knitpicking of an American
foreign policy, does not help, although I think our allies
understand what is going on. They have lived through American
political campaigns before. All we can do is to talk
affirmatively and deal straightforwardly with our allies
as well as our potential adversaries. I think it would be
better if it was not made a campaign issue, as some
are making it, but we have a free country and if they
want to make it a partisan political issue or a political
issue, they can do SO. But I want the American people to
know that we have a good foreign policy. We are going to
keep it up by peace through strength.
Thank you all very much.
END
(AT 4:37 P.M. EST)