Gerald Ford

I have indicated that it is my intention to be a candidate in 1976.

We must not be lulled into a belief that inflation need no longer be a major concern of economic policy.

We must embark upon effective programs to conserve energy and develop new sources.

I think the Congress has an obligation to come up with their package.

The only practical and effective way to achieve energy independence, therefore, is by allowing prices of oil and gas to move higher.

The energy problem will not wait; besides, it is a big part of our economic problem.

I do hereby proclaim the month of February 1975, as American Heart Month.

While these projected figures present no rosy picture, they forecast the real improvement we expect in the coming months.

I firmly reject that view. They are controllable if the Congress and the President join together to hold down excessive spending.

Our immediate task is the restoration of active growth in our economy, and that goal is reflected in the projected budget deficit.

The facts of life are, in the United States, that our domestic oil production is declining, and it will continue to decline.

It is really a privilege and a pleasure to be in Atlanta.

I think it is encouraging to see that labor, business, and the general public respond so well to the problems of this recession and are joining in the effort to solve them.

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.

I urge my fellow citizens to be mindful of the valuable message conveyed to us during the celebration of this week.

Together, the reductions I am proposing amount to $17 billion for fiscal year 1976.

I do hereby proclaim that, subject to valid existing rights, the lands hereinafter described are hereby added to and made a part of the Buck Island Reef National Monument.

The more permanent program expenditure reductions are necessary if we are not to embark on a course of future spending that will be highly inflationary.

Harry, I hope you left some aspirin for me.

I do not like to see deficits of this size--nor any, for that matter.

I ask the 94th Congress to give full consideration to the question of whether increased Federal spending--with its associated inflationary effects and implied longer-term commitments--is warranted for these programs at this time.

I look forward, Mr. Prime Minister, to continuing our constructive discussions tomorrow that we initiated today.

Americans can never forget how the very roots of our democratic political system and of our concepts of liberty and government are to be found in Britain.

Another aspect of our common heritage is our devotion to democracy, our faith in the wisdom of people.

If we act imaginatively and boldly to deal with our present problems, as we acted after World War II, then this period will, in retrospect, be seen as one of the great creative moments in our history.