1973 USA - Color, President Richard Nixon: Address re National Energy Policy
Nixon at desk holding speech. Good evening: Three weeks ago, I spoke to you about the national energy crisis and our policy for meeting it. Tonight I want to talk with you again to report on our progress and to announce further steps we must take to carry out our energy policy. When I spoke to you earlier, I indicated that the sudden cutoff of oil from the Middle East had turned the serious energy shortages we expected this winter into a major energy crisis. That crisis is now being felt around the world, as other industrialized nations have also suffered from cutbacks in oil from the Middle East. Shortages in Europe, for example, are far more critical than they are in the United States. Already seven European nations have imposed a ban on Sunday driving. Fortunately, the United States is not as dependent upon Middle Eastern oil as many other nations. We will not have a ban on Sunday driving, but as you will hear later we are going to try to limit it. Nevertheless, we anticipate that our shortages could run as high as 17 percent. This means that we must immediately take strong, effective countermeasures.
00:03:21 In order to minimize disruptions in our economy, I asked on November 7 that all Americans adopt certain energy conservation measures to help meet the challenge of reduced energy supplies. These steps include reductions in home heating, reductions in driving speeds, elimination of unnecessary lighting. And the American people, all of you, you have responded to this challenge w/ that spirit of sacrifice which has made this such a great nation. The Congress has also been moving forward on the energy front. The Alaska pipeline bill has been passed. I signed it into law 9 days ago right here at this desk. The Congress has passed a fuel allocation bill which I will sign into law on Tuesday, an additional emergency bill providing special authority to deal with this problem has now passed the Senate.
(NOTE: November 27, 1973, the President signed S. 1570, the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973, Public Law 93-159 (87 Stat. 627).)
00:04:16 When the House returns from its recess, I am confident the House will move promptly so that this vital legislation can be signed into law by the middle of December. And so we have made some encouraging progress, but there is much more to be done, and that is what I want to talk to you about tonight. I have appointed an Energy Emergency Action Group, under my chief energy adviser, Governor John Love, to analyze our situation on a continuing basis & to advise me of all actions required to deal with it. And upon the action & the recommendation of this group, I am announcing tonight the following steps to meet the energy crisis: First, to increase the supply of heating oil that will be available this winter, we must adjust production schedules & divert petroleum which might normally go for the production of gasoline to the production of more heating oil. To accomplish this, the amount of gasoline which refiners distribute to wholesalers & retailers will be reduced across the Nation by 15 percent. As we reduce gasoline supplies, we must act to insure that the remaining gasoline available is used wisely and conserved to the fullest possible extent.
00:05:39 Therefore, as a second step, I am asking tonight that all gasoline filling stations close down their pumps between 9 p.m. Saturday night and midnight Sunday every weekend, beginning December 1. We are requesting that this step be taken voluntarily now. Upon passage of the emergency energy legislation before the Congress, gas stations will be required to close during these hours. This step should not result in any serious hardship for any American family. It will however, discourage long-distance driving during weekends. It will mean perhaps spending a little more time at home.
00:06:22 Continued on 250302B
Energy Rationing; Heating Oil Shortages; 1970s; Post-Vietnam; Presidential Speech; Gasoline; Petroleum;
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1973 USA - Color, President Richard Nixon: Address re National Energy Policy Nixon at desk holding speech. Good evening: Three weeks ago, I spoke to you about the national energy crisis and our policy for meeting it. Tonight I want to talk with you again to report on our progress and to announce further steps we must take to carry out our energy policy. When I spoke to you earlier, I indicated that the sudden cutoff of oil from the Middle East had turned the serious energy shortages we expected this winter into a major energy crisis. That crisis is now being felt around the world, as other industrialized nations have also suffered from cutbacks in oil from the Middle East. Shortages in Europe, for example, are far more critical than they are in the United States. Already seven European nations have imposed a ban on Sunday driving. Fortunately, the United States is not as dependent upon Middle Eastern oil as many other nations. We will not have a ban on Sunday driving, but as you will hear later we are going to try to limit it. Nevertheless, we anticipate that our shortages could run as high as 17 percent. This means that we must immediately take strong, effective countermeasures. 00:03:21 In order to minimize disruptions in our economy, I asked on November 7 that all Americans adopt certain energy conservation measures to help meet the challenge of reduced energy supplies. These steps include reductions in home heating, reductions in driving speeds, elimination of unnecessary lighting. And the American people, all of you, you have responded to this challenge w/ that spirit of sacrifice which has made this such a great nation. The Congress has also been moving forward on the energy front. The Alaska pipeline bill has been passed. I signed it into law 9 days ago right here at this desk. The Congress has passed a fuel allocation bill which I will sign into law on Tuesday, an additional emergency bill providing special authority to deal with this problem has now passed the Senate. (NOTE: November 27, 1973, the President signed S. 1570, the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973, Public Law 93-159 (87 Stat. 627).) 00:04:16 When the House returns from its recess, I am confident the House will move promptly so that this vital legislation can be signed into law by the middle of December. And so we have made some encouraging progress, but there is much more to be done, and that is what I want to talk to you about tonight. I have appointed an Energy Emergency Action Group, under my chief energy adviser, Governor John Love, to analyze our situation on a continuing basis & to advise me of all actions required to deal with it. And upon the action & the recommendation of this group, I am announcing tonight the following steps to meet the energy crisis: First, to increase the supply of heating oil that will be available this winter, we must adjust production schedules & divert petroleum which might normally go for the production of gasoline to the production of more heating oil. To accomplish this, the amount of gasoline which refiners distribute to wholesalers & retailers will be reduced across the Nation by 15 percent. As we reduce gasoline supplies, we must act to insure that the remaining gasoline available is used wisely and conserved to the fullest possible extent. 00:05:39 Therefore, as a second step, I am asking tonight that all gasoline filling stations close down their pumps between 9 p.m. Saturday night and midnight Sunday every weekend, beginning December 1. We are requesting that this step be taken voluntarily now. Upon passage of the emergency energy legislation before the Congress, gas stations will be required to close during these hours. This step should not result in any serious hardship for any American family. It will however, discourage long-distance driving during weekends. It will mean perhaps spending a little more time at home. 00:06:22 Continued on 250302B Energy Rationing; Heating Oil Shortages; 1970s; Post-Vietnam; Presidential Speech; Gasoline; Petroleum;