Gerald Ford 1975 Typed Letter Signed as President

38th President. Typed letter signed “Jerry Ford" AS PRESIDENT, March 24, 1975, White House stationery, 7x9, to Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia, in full:

Thank you very much for sending me the telegram on March 20 following the release of my statement concerning energy conservation.

Whether we bracket the emphasis on volunteer efforts to conserve energy within the framework of a special period, as called for in Senate Resolution 59, or place it within a broad long-term effort, the thrust remains the same.  Basically, if our efforts are to succeed, our volunteer conservation must be keyed with a responsible legislative program establishing the needed authority to implement the necessary action to increase domestic production and at the same time reduce demand. With your leadership and support, I am certain these requirements can and will be met.

President Gerald R. Ford addressed the Nation on May 27, 1975 from the Oval Office on the country’s energy problems. President Ford believed that America must avoid dependency on foreign sources of energy. He believed that by 1985, the U.S. would be importing over half of the oil needed for its economy, putting the U.S. at greater risk of an oil embargo, loss of American jobs and increase in exporting of U.S. dollars.

Four months earlier, President Ford presented to Congress a program designed to conserve the energy we now had, while speeding up the development and production of new domestic energy. President Ford understood that his plan would increase the cost of energy for Americans, but believed his course was the best way to keep U.S. dollars in the U.S. and keep American jobs in America.