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Text of President's Planned Remarks at AFL-CIO Construction Trades Meeting [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7340971
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Text of President's Planned Remarks at AFL-CIO Construction Trades Meeting [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
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Digitized from Box 16 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR RELEASE UPON DELIVERY
SEPTEMBER 22, 1975
EXPECTED ABOUT 11:05 A.M. PDT
2:05 P.M. EDT
Office of the White House Press Secretary
(San Francisco, California)
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS AT AFL-CIO
CONSTRUCTION TRADES MEETING
Last January, I went to a testimonial dinner in Washington honoring
Bob Georgine. I asked Bob and the skilled construction trades to
help America achieve energy independence -- and he has helped.
I have just seen a copy of the September issue of the AFL-CIO
"American Federationist" in which Bob Georgine again speaks out
on the energy crisis. Bob, nothing could make me happier than
your report that unions are still pressing so vigorously for
energy growth.
I know that construction workers are among those suffering the
heaviest impact of recession and the energy crisis. When you
suffer, America suffers.
The mission of the skilled construction trades represented here
is to build America. That is also my goal as President. Two
centuries of construction enabled America to achieve its special
status among the nations. I salute you as representatives of
the millions of men and women who have had a part in this great
building process. As America completes two hundred years of
history, we face some very serious problems. But we -- you and
I together -- will solve those problems. If any nation or group
of nations in the world -- including those favored by nature with
great oil resources -- think America is finished, that we no
longer control our destiny and our finances, then they have
another think coming.
The four million skilled construction workers you represent, and
multitudes of other Americans will show the world that Uncle Sam
isn't about to say "Uncle."
You and I know we can produce our own energy.
You and I know we can protect ourselves against arbitrary price
increases by foreign nations.
You and I know we can provide more jobs.
You and I know we can bring an end to the intolerable situation
in which America exports more than $25 billion a year to pay for
imported oil, while plenty of energy is potentially available at
home. The money we will pay out this year for foreign oil would
pay the wages for one million more American workers.
When I talk about energy I am talking about jobs --- American jobs.
Last year, about three-fourths of all planned nuclear plants,
and over one-fourth of all coal plants scheduled to be built in
the next 10 years were postponed or cancelled. Domestic oil
production right here in the good old U.S.A. has fallen by 11
percent since early 1973. Natural gas production has declined
so seriously that thousands of jobs are threatened this very
winter.
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2
Last year the average American home paid about $360 for foreign
oil compared with only $45 in 1970. 011 producing nations know
that we are more dependent and more vulnerable than ever.
There is now a possibility that the OPEC nations' foreign oil
cartel will once again raise prices. We don't have to take this
lying down -- and we won't!
For starters, let's spend here at home for American jobs some of
the billions we've been spending abroad for foreign oil and
foreign payrolls. We can create construction jobs for workers,
capital for industrial expansion, and new energy for all
Americans. That's what independence is all about.
In response to those nations which would control our energy
supply and prices and hence our future, I say to industry, to
construction workers, and to all Americans: "Let's go into
business for ourselves." Let's produce American energy in
America with American workers.
Last January, I asked the Congress to act. The comprehensive
program I then outlined was based upon my deep belief in America.
By 1985 I envisioned:
--
200 major nuclear power plants.
--
250 major new coal mines.
--
150 major coal-fired power plants.
--
30 major new oil refineries.
---------
20 major new synthetic fuel plants.
-- the drilling of many thousands of new oil wells.
-- the insulation of 18 million homes.
-- and the manufacture and sale of millions of new
automobiles, trucks and buses that use much less fuel.
I happen to believe we can do it. In another crisis -- the
one in 1942 -- President Franklin D. Roosevelt said this
country would build 50,000 warplanes a year. Our enemies scoffed.
But by 1943, our production reached 125,000 aircraft annually.
We did it then. We can do it again.
Frankly, we can't wait any longer for Congress to act on my
comprehensive energy program.
Long-range security, jobs, and energy are inseparable. The
time has come for action on energy independence.
Accordingly, I will shortly ask the Congress to erase all doubt
about the capacity of America to respond. I will propose an
entirely new $100 billion Government corporation to work, with
private enterprise and labor, to gain energy independence for
the United States in ten years or less.
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3
This Energy Independence Authority will have the power to take
any appropriate financial action to borrow and to lend -- in
order to get energy action. It will serve as a catalyst and
stimulant, working through -- not in place of American industry.
--
It can stimulate economic growth.
It can create new jobs.
---
It can give us control over our own destiny.
---
It can end runaway energy prices imposed by foreign
nations.
--
It can give foreign nations a new look at what Americans
can do with our great resources when we stop talking and
start acting.
That is my answer to those who tell us, Americans can no longer
do what they set out to do.
I speak today to the great majority who believe in American capa-
cities rather than in American incapacity. I speak to all Ameri-
cans who know that this is still the same nation that made up its
mind during World War II to develop synthetic rubber --- and did
so; who know this is still the same nation that decided to harness
the atom by the Manhattan Project and accomplished that objective;
who know that this is still the same nation that said it would put
the first man on the moon -- and did SO. People said all these
projects were impossible. But Americans have done the impossible. 17
The proposed Energy Independence Authority would have a ten-year
life and be self-liquidating. It is designed to achieve what many
regard as impossible ---- energy independence by 1985. But it is a
program to secure our jobs, our standard of living, and the na-
tional interest of the United States.
This new government corporation would be an independent Federal
authority reporting directly to the President. This concept is
bigger than partisanship. I am determined to appoint as its
directors Americans of stature without regard to partisan
considerations.
The new Energy Independence Authority will seek:
New technologies to support or directly produce or
transport American energy,
Technologies to support American nuclear development;
Electrical power from American coal, nuclear and
geothermal sources.
The Energy Independence Authority will undertake only those
projects which private business cannot undertake alone. It will
not replace the private enterprise system -- it will supplement
it. My vision is of dramatic action to produce oil and gas from
toal, safe and clean nuclear and coal-generated electric power,
harness the energy of the sun and the natural heat within the
earth and build numerous other energy facilities. The Energy
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4
Independence Authority would act to finance those projects vitally
needed for America's energy independence that will not be financed
even by America's great private capital resources.
We will need over $600 billion of energy investments over the next
decade to finance American energy independence. As always, most
of that investment will come from private sources. But I am con--
vinced that we cannot wait for our emerging technologies to become
conventional technologies. We must act now to speed their develop-
ment. We must also ensure that conventional projects with very
large capital needs will have adequate access to investment re-
sources.
The central defect of America's present energy system is that it
relies most on our least plentiful domestic energy sources ------- oil
and natural gas -- and relies least on our most abundant energy
resources --- coal and nuclear power.
My vision is of crash development -- in harmony with environmental
protection -- of these abundant resources. America's oil shale
resources are more vast than all the oil reserves of the Middle
East. America's coal resources are ten times greater than our oil
shale resources. And America's ability to harness the atom is
legendary --- with the known potential of producing unlimited amounts
of clear, safe energy.
Without this Energy Independence Authority, these vast treasures
of America might never be developed -- or developed too late to
keep America's leadership in the world. With an Energy Indepen-
dence Authority, we will have the financial means to tap all this
energy during the next crucial decade.
The Energy Independence Authority will be an important new element,
but only one element in our total national energy independence
effort.
We need dramatic action to produce synthetic fuels --- at least a
million barrels a day -- floating nuclear power plants mounted on
barges, new pipelines for oil and gas and vast energy parks
throughout America.
My vision is of America going back to work as a chain reaction of
economic activity spreads throughout all fifty States. To build
energy is to create energy -- and jobs -- in all sectors of
national life.
It has been estimated that for each job created directly in indus-
try, the ripple effect throughout the economy creates at least
another unrelated job. The total number of jobs generated will
more than double the energy-related jobs.
Let me cite an example:
Four hundred thousand man years of labor are required to construct
plants and manufacture equipment for fifty nuclear plants. This
represents 650,000 man years of labor in the time frame required.
I want to see millions of new jobs in the next ten years with
healthy widening ripples of growth throughout the economy. I am
directing my energy and economic advisers to take all steps re--
quired, in the shortest time possible, to make this vision a
reality. And I am also counting on you, the construction workers
who will do the job. You have the skills. You have the courage.
You have the dedication which enabled America to defend itself in
times of war and to develop in times of peace.
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5
I am confident of your ability and that of all Americans, labor
and management; Democrats and Republicans, and Independents;
employed and unemployed; rich, poor, and struggling; old and
young; to unite behind this bold new program.
As America's population grows, and our economy expands, we must
create some eleven million more jobs by 1980. This is a big
order. It cannot be filled by Government alone or by industry
alone, or by unions, or by politicians acting on their own.
But the problem can and will be solved if we all work together,
just as you in this hall are today united to building America.
The door to the White House will remain open, as it has since
I have been President, to those who champion the cause of
America's working people. Nor will I ever close my heart to
the millions of Americans who are now unable to find work.
I will not rest as long as any American who wants to work cannot
find employment. Too many people remain without jobs. I have
heard references to so-called "acceptable" rates of unemployment.
I do not recognize the acceptability of any level of unemployment
as long as people can't find jobs. I am determined to help create
new jobs, on a sound economic basis --- good jobs, real jobs and
not make-work $2 an hour jobs.
When statistics are issued on the loss of jobs, there are some
losses which are not published. I refer to the loss of hope
among the young people seeking their first real Job, the loss
of self esteem among heads of households who are laid off, the
loss of security and standards of living that people worked for
years to achieve, and, most important, the loss of faith in
America's future.
These are tragic losses. They are losses that the United States
of America cannot and will not permit.
The need for skilled construction workers to build new energy
installations and for new operators to run them will be enormous.
By planning and working now, we can ensure that development
is orderly and that progress is continuous.
As we enter our third century, Americans can look back with
great pride upon our achievements in providing safe, healthful,
stable and productive jobs. But we still have much to do.
Let's go to work together.
Thank you very much.
# # #