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Press Conference of the Vice President at the Zuni Room, Albuquerque Convention Center
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Press Conference of the Vice President at the Zuni Room, Albuquerque Convention Center
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Digitized from Box 23 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1976.
Office of the Vice President
(Albuquerque, New Mexico)
PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
AT THE
ZUNI ROOM, ALBUQUERQUE CONVENTION CENTER
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
(AT 4:25 P.M. MST)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I would just like to say what a
pleasure it is to be here in Albuquerque, to have the chance
to have flown down on the plane with Pete Domenici and his very
attractive wife, and your distinguished Congressman Manual
Lujan, and to be here with Jack, your State Chairman, and all
the other party leaders, and to be here for a fund-raising
occasion for the Republican Party.
I happen to believe very strongly in the two-party
system. And one of the great strengths and vitalities of this
country has been the two-party system throughout our history.
Your distinguished Senator and your great Congressman have
shown the importance of that system in their representation,
not only of the great State of New Mexico, but we feel they
represent equally well the people of this country as a whole.
We are proud of them and grateful to you for sending them up.
I would just like to say before answering questions
that this is a happy moment for me to be here because we have
been through a couple of tough years as a nation in the world,
a period of recession and unemployment, and now we see that
due to the courage of a President whose dedication to the best
interests of the people of this country, it has come through
loud and clear. Inflation has been cut in half, down around
6 percent, and unemployment has turned around and we have
seen two million people get back on the payroll. So we are
at a point where we were when we had the highest employment
in the history of the country.
There are two and a half million men and women
looking for jobs, and we have to have economic growth so they
will have those jobs. And we have to have economic expansion
on down the road to produce about a million, million and a
half jobs a year for the young men and women coming out of
college.
But one of the great things,is that this country has extra
ordinary human resources and natural resources. We have the
great scientific and technological capacity so we can produce
the energy, the raw materials and protect our environment while
we have growth. Some people feel no-growth has arrived.
I don't agree. I think growth is essential. And we now see
clearly we can achieve together and play our role in the world
as well as meet the needs of our people at home.
So I am delighted to be here representing the
President. He was going to come and couldn't come. He got
involved in a few primaries, doing very well in them, and
I am here representing him and delighted to have this privilege
and opportunity.
Thank you very much.
MORE
Page 2
QUESTION: The policies of Secretary of State
Kissinger seem to have become a major topic, certainly among
Democrats. What is your assessment of the Secretary's
performance?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Do you want my frank opinion?
QUESTION: Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: The Secretary of State is one of
the great assets of the present Administration. Therefore,
the best thing the Democrats can do is try to cut him down
so he will be less of an asset. That is my personal opinion.
You asked me so I am telling you.
They are trying to make a political issue out of
foreign policy, which to me is a tragedy. At the time of
Pearl Harbor when Senator Vandenberg, a great Republican
Senator, said, "We have to have politics stop at the water's
edge," the Republicans joined with the Democrats and we had
a united foreign policy. This nation needs a united foreign
policy. Those who try to take advantage by attacking the
Secretary and the President on foreign policy, I think it is
interesting to note did not do too well in Florida after the
heavy attacks.
QUESTION: What is the Federal Government doing to
open the port of Anapra in New Mexico?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You have to ask the Senator
right behind you. I honestly don't know. I hate to be that
poorly informed.
QUESTION: Do you think Mr. Ford is completely well
ahead enough now in all these primaries that he is going to be
unchallenged at the Republican National Convention?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Having been in this business
for a long time myself, I would never take anything for granted,
particularly when it is the peoples' vote.
My feeling is he has got to continue to do what he
has been doing, which is speak with the sincerity and the
frankness that he feels represents the best interests of the
American people. And he has vetoed some very popular legis-
lation which is popular with the people who were the
beneficiaries. But he recognizes that inflation is the serious
destructive force undermining those who can less afford to
cope with the impact of inflation, the elderly, those on fixed
incomes, those working. Therefore, he has chosen the course of
trying to hold down federal expenditures to allow the American
enterprise system to get going again to provide the jobs.
I don't think he is going to relax. I think he is
going to stay in there doing his thing as President, going
to the people with issues in the campaign. I don't think he
will take anything for granted until the last vote is cast on
election day in November.
QUESTION: Mr. Vice President, Mr. Ford has tried to
eliminate the word detente from his vocabulary. Do you think
detente is working out?
MORE
Page 3
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Detente has been misunderstood
by a great many people, and I am sure his reason for saying
that was because of those who misunderstood it and it is hard
to reach everybody to explain. And he is just trying to
eliminate the word, as you say.
The truth of the matter is that the Soviet Union has
developed a tremendous military capability. The United States
does not and cannot afford, in terms of the interests of the
people of the world, a confrontation with the Soviet Union,
particularly a nuclear confrontation. Therefore, the objective
was to try and find a way of opening communications with the
Soviet Union, with Mainland China, so as to remove those
dangers of superpower confrontation which could lead to another
world war.
And those who were sophisticated enough to be aware
of international policies and problems, they were totally
aware of the fact that the Communist world was going to continue
to try and extend their power and their influence to achieve
their goals, which is world domination by Communism. And
detente did not mean we could relax our vigilance in developing
freedom in the world. It simply meant we wanted to open
communications to avoid confrontation. That is the policy,
and what word you call it is totally unimportant. It is my
understanding then maybe that was the quickest way to undo
the misunderstanding.
But I personally think
good.
I have to say as an individual, I think what happened
when we withdrew the covert support of the forces of freedom
in Angola and allowed the Communists and Soviet Union and
Cuban vassals with their military forces over there to go
against the will of the people and conquer the nation and make
it Communist, I think is one of the most serious mistakes
the Congress has made in our generation.
QUESTION: What is the present arms policy since we
are always selling weaponry --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Which country did you have in
mind?
QUESTION: The Middle Eastern countries, Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You are putting your finger on
an important point. When you say the Middle East nations are
not our friends, when you take Egypt, which is one of the
Middle East nations which had been under Communist subjugation
for 18 years, and then President Sadat had the courage to throw
the Communists out and settle differences with Israel and
prevent the dangers of war. This was a major step forward in
what one could call the field of detente. Where did the
Egyptians go at this point? Who did they go to to get support?
And it isn't only Israel that is a problem for them. They
have a very serious problem with their neighbors on the other
side, you take Lybia.
So the United States has followed a policy of a
balance of military capabilities that would avoid the
temptation of war.
MORE
Page 4
Now Saudi Arabia has been a friend of this country's
diplomatically ever since the days of President Roosevelt. The
President and King Faisal were very close and personal friends.
They were our allies in the war. They have taken economic
action in raising the price of oil, which certainly has been
unfortunate in terms of our economic interests and those of
the free world.
But I don't think you could say this was an act of
an enemy. This was a self-interest act done purely on the
basis of their economic interests.
QUESTION: Mr. Ford has suggested or hinted there
may not be any more Arms Limitation Agreement with the Russians.
In light of what you mentioned about detente, do you think that
would be a good move?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have never heard him say that
in any meetings I have attended. And I know he is very anxious
to pursue the SALT Agreements, and he felt what was done at
Vladivostok was extremely popular and he expects to continue
that policy. So I am really not clear from what I have heard
him say that that is the policy.
QUESTION: There has been speculation as to who is
the first militarily in the world. Can the Ford Administration
honestly say the United States still is?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't think he has said first.
I think he has said there should be no one that has the greater
power, if I am correct on that.
QUESTION: I think a lot of Americans are wondering
if the Russians are more well equipped than the United States.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: If you take the trend in
expenditures in construction, both in the Soviet Union and the
United States, theirs is up and ours has been down. So if
those trends continue, they will have supremacy. Therefore,
the President asked for an increase in the military budget this
year, and I think he was absolutely right. I have been deeply
concerned for the past 20-some years, and have written various
reports during that period about the fact we were not maintaining
our capability in terms of science, technology and the develop-
ment of modern weapons that would preserve our strength in the
world, which is essential in the preservation of freedom.
QUESTION: How long will it take the Russians to
reach that supremacy?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It depends on what we do. You
see, the problem is in a period of inflation you can keep
spending the same amount of money but it buys less. Therefore,
one has to increase the expenditures in order to get the same
amount. And we are in a situation, I think, that is extremely
critical.
QUESTION: How much more do we need to stop the
Russians from getting ahead?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That depends on what they spend.
It is relative. I think there are two areas. One, the
MORE
Page 5
expenditure of money for research and development, and the
other is equipment. If you extend research and development
and come up with new weapons and technology, that is important
because then you can get a breakthrough which may make our own
and our opponents' weapons structure totally obsolete. The
way things are moving, this is very true.
The Cruise Missile which the United States has
developed is perhaps one of the most exciting and satisfying
and important breakthroughs which puts us way ahead of the
Soviets in that capability and it is extremely important to the
United States.
QUESTION: Do you think Ronald Reagan has been
significantly knocked out of the race yet?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Not yet.
QUESTION: What scenario would bring you into that,
sir?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: In my opinion, and I have said
this right along so it is nothing new, that he would have to go
through Illinois. The President has to win there. And one can
well add to Illinois perhaps North Carolina because North
Carolina is a Southern state where his strength has been
considered invincible except when Mr. Mixon made the arrange-
ment with the South at the 1968 convention, because I was
counting on Mr. Ragan keeping those Southern delegates until
the second or third ballot.
QUESTION: On the thinking about Reagan, if he were
to come on stronger in later primaries do you see any possibility
where you would come into the race?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, sir, I don't. And I don't
think he will come out strong.
QUESTION: Following out what you said he was winning
on his record in Florida when he came in there toward the end
and campaigning. The polls showed he was behind earlier.
Don't the powers of the incumbency, and say what he did about
Castro and those things and the contracts and things of this
sort that he can announce at the last minute, don't those
help him in his campaign?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: of course they do. And this is
part of politics. Before, Governor Reagan, who is a good
friend of mine, had predicted two to one in the beginning. He
knew the President had all these capabilities.
QUESTION: What about the talk that Ronald Reagan
could be Vice President and your status in the continuation
in the Vice Presidency the second time around?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have said since I was cleared
by the Congress to be Vice President, and I said it immediately,
the President should make no decisions, no commitments about
the Vice Presidency for the next term until he is nominated,
that he should say nothing about it, and that I was not a
candidate. And in order to convince people I wasn't, I wrote
a letter saying I wasn't. Then when he is nominated he should
pick the person who in his opinion could best serve the nation
MORE
Page 6
and the party. That is what he will do. Who that person
will be in November, I couldn't tell you. That is a decision
he will have to make then and only he can make it because it
is his decision.
QUESTION: You said you are not running, but you are
not closing the option at that point of accepting after the
nomination?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, I closed it in that letter.
I said -- well, I forgot what the words were, but that is my
intent.
QUESTION: What about the energy crisis? We have
heard so much about what we can do to achieve independence
but we seem to be spending more on Mideast oil now than before.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You are absolutely right.
QUESTION: Is it Congress or the White House?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It is Congress, if you will
forgive me for saying SO. Congress responds to the American
people. The American people don't think there is an energy
crisis. I got asked by none other than Governor Exon, and
he said, "I don't think there is an energy crisis. There is
plenty of oil at the pumps." I said, "Why? Because we are
spending $30 billion this year buying energy this year from
abroad. Another boycott and we could be sunk." This would
be the most disastrous thing to our economic and social life.
The Eastern Seaboard is right on 80- to 90-percent dependency
on imported oil.
So the President is right. The Congress has not
faced up to this yet. And I think the American people, if they
realize it is a crisis, they are going to hold the majority
in Congress responsible because it is going to take 10 years
to develop energy independence. And it is only because of the
farmers generating the capital to pay for it.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask you, in view of the more
friendly relations between this nation and Mainland China,
do you foresee a total cutoff with all our ties with Taiwan
in the near future?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I don't.
QUESTION: Never?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You didn't say never, you said
in the near future.
QUESTION: Okay, ever?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I can't see beyond the near
future. What happens after that, you know, that is time.
These things evolve.
QUESTION: Unemployment is the biggest problem that
most middle class Americans face. Hubert Humphrey was quoted
last week he does not believe the Ford Administration statistics.
Who do we believe, the Ford Administration statistics or doubting
Thomas Mr. Humphrey?
MORE
Page 7
THE VICE PRESIDENT: If Mr. Humphrey were not
available for the Presidency, then I think he could be more
kind about the Ford statistics in his analysis, because he is
an intelligent man. But those statistics are not Mr. Ford's.
They come out of the Department of Labor. They
are done by bureaucrats, most of them Democrats who have been
there during all the Democratic years, and these are not
fudged or faked statistics, these are real statistics.
QUESTION: Why is the government spending so much
in nuclear energy when New Mexico is like the fourth place
in the world that is sunlight? Why is the government spending
so much in the nuclear area? Isn't it because the large oil
companies have a lot to get?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: How do we get your solar heat
from New Mexico to New York? We would love it. Any scheme
you have got, we are ready.
QUESTION: The government has a strong involvement
in nuclear.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have studied this question for
a long time. It is important but it is a fraction of our
energy needs.
QUESTION: Based on what?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Based on what scientists have
developed.
QUESTION: Government scientists?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, sir, outside. I think you
will find the largest single area for the immediate future is
nuclear. I was at a scientific meeting this morning of a
panel called by the President pending this new legislation.
And the scientists had just come up with a new scheme for the
disposal of nuclear waste. And as mentioned in the meeting --
it was an open meeting so I can repeat it -- they have found
you can go out to the ocean bed where the plates are stable --
and this is not a government scientist either; he is not paid
but came to the meeting as a volunteer -- this is 10,000 feet
below the watter. Tremendous pressure. You can drill down
2,000 feet below that, put your waste in a stable plate in the
bottom of the ocean, seal it, which you have to do, and then
the pressure of 10,000 feet of water. They feel it is the
most exciting new development in disposal of waste on a safe
basis that has ever been done. So this is an interesting one
for you to write about.
QUESTION: You have sought for the Presidency.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Off and on.
QUESTION: A lot of national observers suggested
because of your age this would have been your last chance.
Are you in your own mind resigned that you will never be
elected President?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I will tell you first my age
never has bothered me so that is no problem.
MORE
Page 8
Secondly, if I was resigned to never be President,
I should have not taken the Vice Presidency because the purpose
is, God forbid, if something should happen to the President.
QUESTION: Mr. Vice President, do you feel the trip
to China by former President Nixon was detrimental or to our
benefit? What does the Administration think about that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't think it was that
significant.
END
(At 4:50 P.M. MST)