I cannot, consistently with my constitutional responsibilities, sign into law a bill that in my view would weaken our national security in certain critical areas and wastes scarce defense dollars.

Benefit payments under these Acts totaled almost $4 billion.

To represent the public interest and advise the Congress of the Administration's position, I appointed as Chairman, William P. Adams.

Each of these appointees is extremely well qualified and can be expected to set a high level of public service.

I adhere firmly to my request that the Congress provide $126.0 billion for defense in Fiscal Year 1979.

The normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China has always been a goal of my administration.

The importance of National Hispanic Heritage Week should not be underestimated.

We need a fleet that includes more vessels that can perform our Navy's mission but that are not, as this one would be, so designed as to be prohibitively expensive to build.

I hereby transmit the annual report of the Railroad Retirement Board which summarizes its fiscal year 1977 operations under both the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts.

I cannot foreclose the option that I have to act unilaterally through Executive order if the Congress does not act.

I have one statement, and then I'd like to answer your questions.

An adequate defense is the single most important concern I have as President.

The third Executive order will help us to assess the impact of legislative proposals.

I hope that this Government action and I expect this Government action will take root in the private sector.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution of the United States of America, and in order to establish an internal management procedure for identifying aspects of proposed Federal policies that may adversely impact…

There is established the Interagency Coordinating Council.

I know how serious uncertainty is in a person's life.

I appreciate what you are, what you do, the high professionalism, training, education, experience that you bring to your job.