Statement on the Establishment of the Federal Energy Office.

I HAVE today signed an Executive order [11930] which establishes the Federal Energy Office in the Executive Office of the President and which transfers to the FEO the functions and resources of the Federal Energy Administration.

This action was made necessary by the expiration today of the Federal Energy Administration and the failure of the Congress to complete action on legislation extending the expiration date.

It has been clear for months that functions assigned to the FEA must be continued beyond its statutory expiration date. Last February, I reminded the Congress of this need and asked for an extension of 39 months--a period which was consistent with major program responsibilities assigned by the FEA by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act which the Congress passed in December 1975.

Both the House and the Senate have passed extension bills, but the periods of the extensions differ, and both bills include provisions unrelated to the extension. A House-Senate conference committee has been attempting to reconcile these differences in order to produce an acceptable bill, but it is clear that the Congress will not complete action on this legislation before midnight tonight, when the existing FEA authorization expires. Furthermore, the bill currently under review by the conferees includes a number of provisions that will require very careful evaluation before I make a decision.

The Executive order I am signing today will permit continuation of the essential energy programs of the FEA while consideration of a legislative extension continues.